ABSTRACT Work on a ship has a higher risk than other professions, mainly because of the higher frequency of traumatism and chronic non- infectious diseases. This fact justifies the necessity of active health prophylaxis among that occupational group. The aim of the study is to track the effect of a interventional program, which includes health discourse and extra medical examination with occupational health consultation among risk groups of seamen. For the period of 1 year, we tracked the dynamic changes in the body mass and lipid profiles in blood among 96 working sailors. People with obesity before intervention are 25,8%against 23,7% after , these with higher value of total cholesterol in blood before are 59,8% against 44,3% (p<0.05) and the number of sailors with higher level of triglycerides is reduced from 37,5% to 37,1%. Improvement of health condition among workers in maritime transport is possible by necessary activity in health promotion. ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER Epidemiology WORKSITE HEALTH PROMOTION INTERVENTION AMONG SEAFARERS KEY WORDS: seamen, occupational health, health promotion Introduction: Aging of the work force is a fact not only in Bulgaria, but also in the EU countries. One of the main problems caused by it is the growing pathology linked to the growing work age.Higher frequency of absence due to sickness which is established in almost every sphere of the labor is caused not only by the aging of population but also by a lot of health risk factors. One part of them is determined by the lifestyle, which forms behavior risk factors for health (smoking, unhealthy nutrition, alcohol abuse, low physical activity etc.) These factors by themselves increase the possibility of appearance of the so-called biological risk factors (hypertension, hypercholes terolemia, obesity etc.). But these factors have a co-effect with the risk factors on the workplace and enhance the negative health effects of the labor conditions like overheating microclimate, noise, vibration, infrasound etc.Work on board of ship has a higher risk than other professions, mainly due to the higher frequency of traumatism and chronic non-infectious diseases like cardio-vascular or endocrine pathology which are a result of unhealthy behavior.This justifies the necessity of active health prophylaxis among this occupational group. The purpose of the study is to track the effect of an interventional program, which includes health discourse and extra medical examination with occupational health consultation among risk groups of seamen. Materials & Methods: For the period February 2016 to February 2017, we tracked the dynamic changes in the body mass and lipid profiles in blood among 96 working sailors. A structured questionnaire is applied including questions about: nutrition regime, food-eating frequency, a different group of questions refer to physical activity and unhealthy habits. Anthropometric traits as height and weight are measured. Height among examined people is measured with accuracy up to 1 mm with a portable stadiometer while the person is in standing position. During measurement,the person is without shoes. Weight is measured with accuracy up to 0.1 kg with calibrated electronic scale. BMI of each participant is calculated by the standart formula.BMI = Weight (кg) / Height2 (m2).The results of underweight, overweight or obesity is determined by the criteria of WHO for BMI by the population at age over 18 years old. (1) Blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides are examined. To each of the people with obesity or/and with higher blood level of total cholesterol and triglycerides are given occupational health consults about healthy working conditions, the necessity of being fit for work at sea, physical capacity and possibilities for correction of the modified risk factors for cardio-vascular diseases. Individual correction in nutrition and in the level of physical activity are recommended. For statistic, processing is being used analysed data from SPSS v.17 for descriptive statistics (graphic and table method), methods for hypothesis check: Student's t-test and Pearson's chi-squared test. For a level of significance is accepted p=0.05. Results: In the research are included 96 people at the age of 48,03±0,9 years, the youngest is 26-years old and the oldest is 65-years old. Distribution of the examined sea-workers is even. (Figure 1) Fig.1 Distribution of the examined sea-workers by professional groups (%) At the beginning of the research only 18 people or 18,6% of the included in the examination sea-workers are with optimal BMI.People with higher numbers in the BMI are more than 54 or 55,7%.These numbers are increasing drastically the numbers for the country. According to the most recent research among men in active working age in Bulgaria the distribution of the overweight is at 32,7% and obesity at 16.1%. (2) (Figure2) Fig. 2 Distribution by percentage of the BMI at the beginning of the research (%) With higher numbers in blood glucose level are 3,3%,of the total cholesterol 59,8%,and with triglycerides 37,5% of the seafarers.(Figure 3) Fig. 3. Distribution by percentage of the laboratory results at the beginning of the research (%) According to physical activity,we take the conclusion that ¾of the surveyed sea-workers do not exercise or exercise rarely. Moderate walking on a daily basis more than 30 minutes do only 35,2%. Table 1. Distribution of the examined people according to physical activity (%). A predominant percentage of sailors are having tree meals/day 55,6%,but also the percentage of these who eat once or twice per day is high (6,4%,28,6%). A conclusion is made that the main meal is dinner 42.6%. A nutritional regime while keeping proper eating hours and the number of eating per day is strictly followed by 22,6%,and when there is an opportunity for it-62,9%. Fresh fruits are not included in the meal by 30,4% of the sailors. Teodora Dimitrova Ass. Prof. MD, PhD Volume-7 | Issue-4 | April-2018 | ISSN - 2250-1991 | IF : 6.761 | IC Value : 86.18 PARIPEX - INDIAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH Panayot Nikolov* MD Department of Hygiene and epidemiology, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria. *Corresponding Author Indicator Every day 2-3 times/week Rarely Never Sport 4,8% (3) 21%(13) 62,9%(39) 11,3%(7) Moderate walking 35,2% (19) 38,9%(21) 24,1%(13) 1,9%(1) www.worldwidejournals.com 197