APRN Rural Scholar student project by Megan Alley, BSN, RN East Carolina University

1. Commercial Fishing and
Cardiovascular Disease
APRN Rural Scholar
Megan Alley BSN, RN
East Carolina University

2. Objectives
Develop Develop provider educational topics for population
Identify Identify any future/ongoing research relating to population
Explore Explore assistive programs and strategies for population
Identify Identify safety and health risks related to population
Analyze Analyze statistics at both a national and state level
Explore Explore the commercial fishermen’s occupation

3. Background
• 9.9 billion lbs. seafood harvested in United States (CDC,
2017)
(Earning over $5.4 billion)
• Approximately 39,000 commercial fishermen
• Cardiology career background and direct observation
• Family history of commercial fishermen/watermen

4. Statistics
• Survey from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries license
database
- 2016
- 496 commercial fishermen
- 136 (27%) participation
- Participant characteristics
- Income/Insurance
• Fatalities

5. Safety and Health Risks
• Hazardous working conditions
- strenuous labor, long work hours, harsh weather, etc.
• Common hazards
- vessel disasters, falls overboard, variety of gear and
equipment
• Lifestyle factors = increased risk of cardiovascular disease (Canals,
2013)
- 61.4% smoking
- 60.9% obese
- 30.1% hypertension
- 34.6% high cholesterol
- 3.6% diabetes

6. Cardiovascular
Disease (CVD)
• Accounts for one of every three deaths in U.S. and leading
cause of mortality (Shockey, Sussell, & Odom, 2016).
• American Heart Association Ideal Cardiovascular Behaviors
- Not smoking
- Being physically active
- Having normal blood pressure
- Having normal blood glucose
- Being of normal weight
- Having normal cholesterol levels
- Eating a heart healthy diet

7. Programs and
Strategies
• Office of Rural Health (NC)
• Fishing Partnership: Support Services
(National – New England)

8. Future Research and Population
Programming
• North Carolina Agromedicine
Institute (East Carolina
University)
• National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH)

9. Provider Education
Telehealth
communication
Heart Healthy Diets
(DASH and
Mediterranean)
Tobacco and Alcohol
Cessation
Regular health
screenings
Risk for heat related
illness

10. Resources
Canals, M. (2013). Cardiovascular risk factors in seamen and fishermen. International Maritime Health, 64(3), 107-113.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257135663_Cardiovascular_risk_factors_in_seamen_and_fishermen_Review_of_literatu
re
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). The national institute for occupational safety and health: Commercial fishing.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/cmshs/commercial_fishing.html
Fishing Partnership. (2020). Health and wellness programs. Fishing Partnership: Support Services.
https://fishingpartnership.org/health-wellness/
Knopf, T. (2018). Risky work: Commercial fishing’s health tolls. Coastal Review Online.
https://www.coastalreview.org/2018/07/risky-work-commercial-fishings-health-toll/
Mayo Clinic. (2020). Strategies to prevent heart disease. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-
disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/art-20046502
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2019). Overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/fishing/nationaloverview.html
Shockey, T., Sussell, A., & Odom, E. (2016). Morbidity and mortality weekly report: Cardiovascular health status by occupational
group. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Weekly. 65(31), 793-798.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6531a1.htm
Woodhead, A., Abernethy, K., Szaboova, L., & Turner, R. (2018). Health in fishing communities: A global perspective. Fish and
Fisheries, 19(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12295