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First sea voyage

In May 2018, the first sea voyage took place on a container ship. The aim was to examine the state of health of seafarers (nutrition, fitness, sleep quality, etc.).

The first sea voyage to examine the crew members was carried out by three ZfAM doctors and a student from the IVDP's ecotrophology department.

It took place from 14.05.2018 - 27.05.2018 on a container ship of the Döhle shipping company. The ship's route led from Piraeus (Greece), via Barcelona, Felixstowe and Rotterdam to Hamburg.

The demographic and multicultural composition of the crew on board corresponded to that of usual crews on large container ships. The crew was very willing to take part in the survey (participation rate of over 95%).

During the 14-day sea voyage, the survey effort comprised a cumulative 3.5 hours of questioning per participant (14 questionnaires from different medical focus areas) and two hours of pure medical examination time. Thanks to a high level of willingness on the part of the crew and the great commitment of the examination team, it was possible to achieve an examination completeness of more than 94 % during the sea voyage.

For example, working movements were tracked using 3D technology, UV exposure or skin structures were assessed using a skin scanner, and the seafarers' physical fitness was determined by an exercise ECG.

The participation of the ship's crew members in the examinations was voluntary and could be terminated at any time.

 

31.05.2018