Crew awareness as key to optimizing habitability standards onboard naval platforms: A 'back-to basics' approach
Journal Title: Medical Journal Armed Forces - Year 2017, Vol 73, Issue 4
Abstract
Background: A healthy habitable environment onboard warships is vital to operational fleet efficiency and fit sea-warrier force. Unique man-machine-armament interface issues and consequent constraints on habitability necessitate a multi-disciplinary approach toward optimizing habitability standards. Study of the basic 'human factor', including crew aware- ness on what determines shipboard habitability, and its association with habitation specifications is an essential step in such an approach. The aim of this study was to assess crew awareness on shipboard habitability and the association between awareness and maintenance of optimal habitability as per specifications. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 552 naval personnel onboard warships in Mumbai. Data on crew awareness on habitability was collected using a standardized questionnaire, and correlated with basic habitability requirement specifications. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel, Epi-info, and SPSS version 17. Results: Awareness level on basic habitability aspects was very good in 65.3% of crew. Areaspecific awareness was maximum with respect to living area (95.3%). Knowledge levels on waste management were among the lowest (65.2%) in the category of aspect-wise aware- ness. Statistically significant association was found between awareness levels and habitability standards (OR = 7.27). Conclusion: The new benchmarks set in the form of high crew awareness levels on basic shipboard habitability specifications and its significant association with standards needs to be sustained. It entails re-iteration of healthy habitation essentials into training; and holds the key to a fit fighting force.
Authors and Affiliations
Anand Neelakantan
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP614744
- DOI 10.1016/j.mjafi.2016.09.009
- Views 76
- Downloads 0
Clinicians and microbiologists need to work closely to improve patient care and control antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global emergency, which threatens to undermine and setback the advances in healthcare. It is estimated that AMR could result in 10 million deaths and cost health economy 66 trillion do...
Speciation of fungi using real time PCR with molecular beacons: Can we solve the enigma of diagnosis of invasive fungal disease?
Background: Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are difficult to diagnose and associated with high mortality rates, especially in the immunosuppressed. Species of Aspergillus and Candida are the cause of majority of invasive...
Glued intraocular lens with descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty in aphakic bullous keratopathy
Recent advances in the field of cataract surgery have reduced the number of surgical complications. However, pseudophakic and aphakic bullous keratopathy (ABK) still continue to account for approximately 13% of corneal t...
Direct acting oral anticoagulant: Bench to bedside
Vitamin K antagonists are an effective group of oral anticoagulants. However because of genetic variability in their metabolism and multiple food and drug interactions, these drugs have narrow therapeutic window with unp...
Bibliometric Indices of Scientific Journals: Time to overcome the obsession and think beyond the Impact Factor
Journal Impact Factor (JIF) has been widely used for a long time as a proxy marker of journal prestige. However, off late, accuracy and reliability of JIF for evaluation of scientific journals has been increasingly quest...