[Smoking among maritime workers in the province of Guipúzcoa. An epidemiological study]

Smoking is the principal environmental cause of human disease and seafarers are often heavy smokers as a consequence of difficult working conditions. The object of this study was to determine the prevalence of smoking among seafarers and possible associated factors. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Interviewers administered questionnaires to 834 seafarers between 40 and 60 years of age who were registered members of the marine health and social services authority of Guipúzcoa, whether they were active (working) or passive (unemployed or retired). Expiratory concentrations of CO were also measured. Smokers accounted for 47.5%. Average consumption was 33.9 packs/year (p/y); CO in expired air was 26.1 ppm. Ex-smokers accounted for 23.7% (28.2 p/y; 6.0 ppm). The percentage of smokers was higher among fishermen of the high seas than among coastal fishermen (59.5% versus 38.0%; p < 0.001); consumption of cigarettes of both smokers and ex-smokers (35.9-27.2 p/y; p < 0.001) and mean CO concentration in expired air (18.8-12.4 ppm; p < 0.001) were also found to be higher in this group. Those who had consumed more cigarettes over the course of a lifetime were active seafarers (41.1-30.5 p/y; p < 0.001), but among them were also more ex-smokers (30.8-22.2%; p = 0.04) and fewer current smokers (35.6-50.0%; p = 0.002). Fishing the high seas was the only variable associated with cigarette consumption; being unemployed or retired was the only factor associated with quitting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)