Osteomuscular diseases in maritime workers in the Region of Murcia (Spain)

Abstract

Introduction: Seafarers are a group that is particularly vulnerable to musculoskeletal disorders due to the specific characteristics of their work and the adverse conditions in which they carry out their professional activities. Objective: To describe the musculoskeletal problems arising from professional activities in seafarers in the Region of Murcia (Spain). Methodology: This is an observational analytical case-control study in which professional divers were defined as the exposed group (cases) and fishermen as the unexposed group or controls. Results: in the analysis of the occupational pathologies suffered by these two groups of maritime workers, we observed that 152 (50.8%) responded in the survey that they had suffered joint problems in the last year in some of the eight groups of musculoskeletal areas analysed, with this being more frequent in divers than in fishermen, 59 (57.8%) and 93 (47.2%) respectively. Only 33 subjects reported having suffered work disability in the last year, representing 11% of the total sample and 21.7% of those who reported having suffered musculoskeletal pathology. Analysing these work incapacities by activity, it is more frequent in divers, 14 (13.7%), compared to fishermen, who present 19 (9.6%) cases, p=0.286. Conclusions: Exposure to professional diving is significantly associated with a higher probability of presenting musculoskel pathologies compared to other maritime workers, namely fishermen.

Keywords: musculoskeletal, divers, sailors, seafarers.