Sickness Absence and Hospitalization among Workers on Board Norwegian Fishing Vessels

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Maritime Medicine

Background:

• Commercial fishing is a globally recognized hazardous occupation.
• Limited data exists on sick leave, diagnoses, and hospitalizations for Norwegian fishing vessel workers.
• This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding fisher health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of doctor-certified sick leave among Norwegian fishers.
• To compare diagnoses and hospitalization rates between fishers and a matched control group.
• To provide insights into the occupational health of the fishing industry.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a sample of 25,971 Norwegian fishers (2008-2013) from Statistics Norway (SSB).
• Selected an age- and gender-matched control population of 77,913 individuals.
• Obtained outpatient consultation and hospitalization data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR).

Main Results:

• Fishers exhibited higher sick leave rates than their matched controls, but lower than the general working population.
• Musculoskeletal problems were the most frequent cause of sick leave for both fishers and controls.
• Fishers had more hospital stays, which were more frequently unscheduled and longer in duration.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight elevated health burdens for fishers compared to similar non-fisher populations.
• Musculoskeletal disorders are a significant concern within the fishing occupation.
• There is an ongoing necessity for targeted preventive occupational health strategies in the fishing sector.