Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Recreational possibilities for seafarers during shipboard leisure time

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study is aiming to document the leisure time opportunities and their actual utilization on board merchant ships.

Methods

A scientist examined the whole crew on board 22 container ships (323 seafarers; participation rate 88.5%). Data about energy consumption and heart rate were continuously collected during the seafarers’ leisure and sleeping time through a SenseWear® wrist monitor and a Polar watch RS 800 worn for at least 2.5 days.

Results

The seafarers spent an average of 28.2% of the day for leisure time activities and 32.6% for sleeping. A significantly higher energy consumption was found among deck ratings compared to engine room personnel and nautical officers. Across all occupational groups, the variability of the heart rate was lower during sleeping hours than during leisure time. Suggestions for substantial improvement of the leisure time opportunities on board included more frequent and free opportunities for telecommunication (59.1%), shorter work assignments, and a stronger cohesion of the crew. The following coping strategies were paramount: “calming down/settling down” (41.9%), getting in touch with the family (32.0%) and relaxing/sleeping (30.4%).

Conclusions

The limited heart rate variability during sleeping hours suggests a reduced quality of sleep that might be due to the permanent heaving motions of the vessel, noise, and vibration. The (deck) ratings had more physical activities that corresponded with their higher energy consumption during leisure time. Altogether, there is a need to optimize opportunities for relaxation and recreation on board, taking into consideration characteristics of the different occupational and ethnic groups.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allmer H (1996) Erholung und Gesundheit: Grundlagen, Ergebnisse und Massnahmen. Hogrefe Verlag, Göttingen

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett RC, Hyde JS (2001) Women, men, work, and family. An expansionist theory. Am Psychol 56(10):781–796

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bridger RS, Brasher K, Dew A (2010) Work demands and need for recovery from work in ageing seafarers. Ergonomics 53(8):1006–1015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, Franklin BA, Lamonte MJ, Lee IM, Nieman DC, American College of Sports Medicine position stand et al (2011) Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(7):1334–1359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geving IH, Jorgensen KU, Thi MS, Sandsund H (2007) Physical activity levels among offshore fleet seafarers. Int Marit Health 58(1–4):103–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Haka MD, Borch DF, Jensen C, Leppin A (2011) Should I stay or should I go? Motivational profiles of Danish seafaring officers and non-officers. Int Marit Health 62(1):20–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Hung H, Lee CW (2013) Relationship between ethnic backgrounds, family socioeconomic status, leisure participation, and psychological well-being. Percept Mot Skills 117(2):367–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krause H (2017) Cultural specifies concerning sport activities on board. Bachelor theses of University of Applied Sciences, Flensburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunte MP, Gupta P, Bhattacharya S, Neelam N (2017) Role overload, role self distance, role stagnation as determinants of job satisfaction and turnover intention in banking sector. Indian J Psychol Med 39(5):590–599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lodde B, Jegaden D, Lucas D, Feraud M, Eusen Y, Dewitte JD (2008) Stress in seamen and non seamen employed by the same company. Int Marit Health 59(1–4):53–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcinik EJ, Hodgdon JA, O’Brien JJ (1988) Survey of physical training facilities and programs on board Navy vessels. Navy Med 79(2):10–13

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oldenburg M, Jensen HJ (2012) Merchant seafaring: a changing and hazardous occupation. Occup Environ Med 69(9):685–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oldenburg M, Jensen HJ, Latza U, Baur X (2009) Seafaring stressors aboard merchant and passenger ships. Int J Public Health 54(2):96–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Przepiorka AM, Blachnio AP (2017) The relationships between personality traits and leisure time activities: development of the leisure time activity questionnaire (LTAQ). Neuropsychiatry (London) 7(6):1035–1046

    Google Scholar 

  • Saarni H, Pentti J (1996) Free-time activities among seafarers on board Finnish cargo ships. Bull Inst Marit Trop Med Gdynia 47(1–4):33–43

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saarni H, Laine M, Niemi L, Pentti J (2001) Health promotion in the Finnish shipping industry. Int Marit Health 52(1–4):44–58

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shors TJ, Olson RL, Bates ME, Selby EA, Alderman BL (2014) Mental and physical (MAP) training: a neurogenesis-inspired intervention that enhances health in humans. Neurobiol Learn Mem 115:3–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnentag S, Fritz C (2007) The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work. J Occup Health Psychol 12(3):204–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sorensen LE, Pekkonen MM, Mannikko KH, Louhevaara VA, Smolander J, Alen MJ (2008) Associations between work ability, health-related quality of life, physical activity and fitness among middle-aged men. Appl Ergon 39(6):786–791

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teo ST, Pick D, Newton CJ, Yeung ME, Chang E (2013) Organisational change stressors and nursing job satisfaction: the mediating effect of coping strategies. J Nurs Manag 21(6):878–887

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zou L, Yeung A, Quan X, Boyden SD, Wang H (2018) A systematic review and meta-analysis of mindfulness-based (baduanjin) exercise for alleviating musculoskeletal pain and improving sleep quality in people with chronic diseases. Int J Environ Res Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020206

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the seafarers and shipping companies for taking part in this study. We also thank the theologians and deacons of the German Seafarer Mission, who agreed to be interviewed. Furthermore, many thanks also owed to J. Hedtmann, C. Felten and B. Neubauer from the BG Verkehr for their support and the funding.

Funding

This study was funded by the Berufsgenossenschaft für Transport und Verkehrswirtschaft (“BG Verkehr“), Hamburg.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine Hamburg (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Seewartenstrasse 10, 20459, Hamburg, Germany

    Marcus Oldenburg & Hans-Joachim Jensen

Authors
  1. Marcus Oldenburg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hans-Joachim Jensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcus Oldenburg.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Oldenburg, M., Jensen, HJ. Recreational possibilities for seafarers during shipboard leisure time. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 92, 1033–1039 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01442-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01442-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation