Health, self-care and the offshore workforce – opportunities for behaviour change interventions: an epidemiological survey

Kathrine Gibson Smith* (Corresponding Author), Vibhu Paudyal, Susan Klein, Derek Stewart

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Introduction: The high risk nature of offshore work and inherent occupational hazards necessitate that offshore workers engage in behaviours that promote health and wellbeing. The survey aimed to assess offshore workers’ health, self-care, quality of life and mental wellbeing, and to identify associated areas requiring behaviour change.
Methods: Offshore workers attending a course at a training facility in Scotland were invited to complete a questionnaire comprising 11 validated measures of health, self-care, quality of life and mental wellbeing.
Results: A total of 352 offshore workers responded (completion rate 45.4%). Almost three-quarters were identified as overweight/obese (n=236, 74.4%). Median scores for SF-8 quality of life (physical=56.1, interquartile range (IQR)=4.8; mental=54.7, IQR=8.1) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing scales were positive (52.0, IQR=9.0). The largest proportion of participants’ scores across alcohol use (n=187, 53.4%) and sleep quality (n=229, 67.0%) domains were categorised as negative. The median number of self-care domains for which offshore workers scored negatively was 3 (IQR=2.0).
Conclusions: There are key areas relating to the health, quality of life, mental wellbeing and self-care of the offshore workforce that warrant addressing.
Original languageEnglish
Article number4319
Number of pages11
JournalRural and Remote Health
Volume18
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 May 2018

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements

Thanks is owed to the following organisations and individuals for their invaluable contribution to the survey: Institute of Health and Wellbeing PhD Studentship, Robert Gordon University; Petrofac Training Services, Aberdeen; Dr Hector Williams, Robert Gordon University; Professor Graham Furnace, Robert Gordon University, Oil and Gas UK; Professor James Ferguson, Robert Gordon University, NHS Grampian; and study participants.

Keywords

  • health promotion
  • mental wellbeing
  • offshore workers
  • occupational health
  • remote environments
  • self-care
  • UK

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