Survey of the incidence of functional gastrointestinal disorders and intervention effect in personnel undertaking prolonged sea voyage

Objective To investigate the morbidity of functional gastrointestinal disorder (FIGD) and the effect of intervention treatment in personnel undertaking prolonged sea voyage. Methods Based on the Rome Ⅲ classification and diagnostic criteria of FGID, a questionnaire survey was conducted before and after long ocean voyage using the cluster sampling method. The types of FGID investigated in this study included functional dyspepsia (epigastric pain syndrome and postprandial distress syndrome), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, including diarrhea-predominant IBS and constipation-predominant IBS), functional bloating, functional constipation, and biliary pain (gallbladder dysfunction and Oddi's sphincter dysfunction). A systematic health education was carried out and appropriate adjuvant drug was used, and then the effect of interventional treatment on the prognosis of FGID was investigated. Results Three hundred and fifty-five valid questionnaires were returned before and after long sea voyage respectively. The result showed that after health education and adjuvant medication, the prevalence of FGID was significantly controlled after the long sea voyage, the remission and disappearance rate of symptoms was up to 49.44%, meanwhile, it also showed that prevalence of FGID was higher among the persons working in mechanical and electrical departments than in other departments, higher in personnel undergoing prolonge duty than in non-duty personnel, and higher in personnel with the habit of smoking, alcohol/tea drinking than in those without the habits. Conclusion The prevalence of FGID is higher in prolonged sea voyage personnel. Systematic health education and appropriate adjuvant medication could reduce the incidence and improve the symptoms of FGID.