Work package 3: Determination of health status

Scientists board ships and examine the physical and mental condition and knowledge of seafarers in terms of health, nutrition and fitness.

Work package 3 serves to record the physical and mental state of health, nutrition and fitness as well as the state of knowledge regarding health-relevant topics in the different cultural crew groups on board of four ships (merchant ships).

Furthermore, in this work package the working conditions of employees in container shipping as a model of a multicultural work setting are to be surveyed in order to be able to assess the need to optimise the health management already established there. Differences between the occupational groups on board in work-related stress and strain are expected. The level of knowledge on health issues and relaxation, sleep, nutrition and sports behaviour will also vary between the various cultural occupation groups.

Once the instruments to be used have been determined, up to four scientists will carry out specific instrumental and questionnaire surveys on board the four selected container ships over a period of two weeks to assess individual physical fitness and health-relevant psychophysical stress factors suitable for shipping. Based on these findings, a concept for e-health training (work package 4) for a knowledge quiz or other appropriate intervention will be developed. In terms of content, this advanced training will focus mainly on the areas of "physical fitness" and "health stress factors".