PNASH Pilot Project 2014-2015
Commercial fishing is vital to the economy of the Pacific Northwest and has been identified as one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Past studies have focused on reducing acute injuries and deaths in the fishing industry, but there has been very little work done to evaluate the chronic disease risks that face commercial fisherman. This study seeks to identify and describe the chronic health risks associated with fishing to develop a “total worker health” best practices to make work in this vital industry as safe and healthy as possible. This pilot project worked to develop a new health risk appraisal tool and exam protocol to assess the health status and chronic disease risk factors in the participating of salmon fishermen in Cordova, Alaska. In this study, 100 participants were examined using the appraisal tool and 20 participants underwent sleep monitoring and physical exams to help validate appraisal findings. The goal was to develop a health risk assessment tool that could be transferred to other health studies of fishermen.
Outcomes
NIOSH Pacific Office
Eckert C, Baker T, Cherry D. Chronic Health Risks in Commercial Fishermen: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Small Rural Fishing Village in Alaska. J Agromedicine. 2018;23(2):176-185. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2018.1425172. PMID: 29648956.