Work package 6: Evaluation

Both the use of the e-health platform and health competence will be evaluated after the at least two-month intervention on the ship.

Work package 6 evaluates the various components of the intervention and implementation of the e-health platform (see work package 5) on the four representative merchant ships. The evaluation contains various components.

Process evaluation of the implementation of the e-health platform

In the sense of a process evaluation, the user-friendliness, practicability and satisfaction of nautical officers with the e-health platform are evaluated. Immediately after the initial installation and introduction, during the ten-month implementation phase as well as after the intervention, the users on board are asked about their impressions and experiences with the e-health platform. Using targeted questionnaires to be developed on the basis of the module contents defined in the previous work packages, the officers should evaluate each individual module and formulate suggestions for optimization or the need for change.

In addition, relevant technical functionalities of the e-health platform are continuously recorded, checked and evaluated for process evaluation, for example the availability and stability of data transmission for telemedical applications or system errors or system crashes of the e-health platform and individual modules.

On the basis of continuous content, application and technical process evaluation, the various platform apps are successively adapted and implemented on board.

Evaluation of the intervention on health competence, knowledge and behaviour of ship crews on four merchant ships

The health competence and selected health-related behaviours and lifestyle-related aspects (such as nutrition, smoking behaviour and alcohol consumption) of the crew members should be collected after at least two months of onboard intervention (see work package 5). Due to the special aspects of the study setting and the lack of scientific studies of interventions for health promotion in merchant shipping, the evaluation is primarily carried out in the sense of the feasibility of a pilot study.

In addition, selected parameters (health competence, health-relevant behaviour, lifestyle factors) are to be compared pre- and post-interventionally in a before-and-after design in order to detect possible effects. The survey will be carried out at different times: T0 (before the start of the intervention), T1 (after two months), T2 (at the end of the intervention) and - if logistically possible - T3 (follow-up 6 months after the end of the intervention). The various effect parameters and their collection instruments are developed and selected on the basis of the needs analysis carried out in work package 3 and the intervention designed and implemented in work package 4 and work package 5.

This part serves primarily to evaluate the feasibility and practicability of a health-promoting intervention for ship crews on merchant vessels in the sense of a pilot study, which - if successful - should be followed by further studies in larger collectives.

Evaluation of the feasibility of a situational preventive intervention for a healthier selection of food (nudging approach) on merchant vessels

The approach to healthier nutrition described in work package 4 by means of a wider selection and visually appealing presentation of healthy food (nudging approach) is to be evaluated in terms of feasibility and piloting on two of the four merchant vessels. Both the responsible staff of the galley and the crew in their function as consumers are asked about feasibility, satisfaction with presentation and selection as well as actual choice of food (recall method) before and after the intervention.

Within the framework of a cursory evaluation, the recall results of the two vessels with the nudging approach can be compared with those of the other two vessels with conventional food offerings. In the limited setting of the present study, this makes it possible to assess whether the nudging offer is accepted and whether it should be tested and introduced more widely by shipping companies.