[Respiratory disorders among fishermen]

Information concerning to the habits and diseases of sea fishermen is scarce. The respiratory disorders and the risk groups in fishermen from the province of Guipúzcoa, Spain were evaluated in this study.

A descriptive transversal study (questionnaire and spirometry) and retrospective review of the data on laboral disability and mortality were carried out.

The prevalences of chronic bronchitis, asthma and smokers were found to be 18.3%, 9.8% and 47.5% respectively; with a history of pneumonia being 8.9%, tuberculosis 7.3%, pleural disease 5.5%, rib fracture 10.6%, and obstructive disorder 8.9%. Smoking, followed by the presence of previous infectious, were the factors most associated to the presence of respiratory disease. The most prevalent smoking habit observed among the high sea fishermen did not completely explain the greater prevalence of chronic bronchitis found among these subjects. The number of years working at sea was not related to any disorder. Tumors represented the first cause of mortality (34.9%) with those of the trachea, bronchials and lung heading the list (13.3%). Laboral disability due to respiratory causes occupied the third place in the global population (13.0%) and the first place in high sea fishermen (22.2%). In relation with coastal fishermen, the high sea fishermen presented a lower Tiffeneau index and a greater prevalence of smoking, chronic bronchitis, history of tuberculosis and laboral disability, number of medical consultations and admissions due to respiratory problems.

Sea fishermen present a high prevalence of respiratory disease. Differences were observed between high sea and coastal fishermen with the former demonstrating a lower Tiffeneau index and a greater frequency of smoking, chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis history and laboral disabilities, number of medical consultations and admissions for respiratory causes.