ISWAN Stay Hydrated Onboard
Hydration of Seafarers So Far…
At present little research exists on the hydration of seafarers. However, experiences of those who have been to sea suggest that dehydration at sea can be common. Working on board can present seafarers with factors that may make it challenging to remain adequately hydrated, such as physically demanding job roles, working in very hot environments, and distrust of water on board because of taste or appearance.
ISWAN Stay Hydrated Onboard – The Pilot
In order to investigate this area further, ISWAN worked with Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Georgina Robinson to design a pilot campaign to:
- Provide seafarers with the right tools and information to encourage them to stay hydrated on board
- Gather data on the drink types and volume consumed by seafarers on board over a 28-day period
- Attempt to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of certain campaign materials
ISWAN run a pilot Hydration Campaign on 4 vessels and 73 seafarer participants who recorded everything they drank over a 28-day period, discussing findings and considering recommendations for future work on promoting the importance of hydration to seafarers on board.
As water was by far the highest consumption of all the liquids consumed, the statistical analysis was done on water consumption alone, not on total liquid consumption.
Pilot Campaign Key Findings
- The majority of seafarers participating in the campaign drank seemingly healthy volumes of water on board
- Some seafarers are not drinking enough water over the course of their working day
- Seafarers on board these vessels appear to be consuming very low levels of sugary and heavily caffeinated drinks and are opting for water instead
- All ships showed an increase in average consumption of water over the course of the survey