| Objective: The study was conducted to investigate the health status of staffs on offshore oil platforms, study the occupational stress and its influences for the staffs, and explore the effects of occupational stress and noise on serum cortisol.Methods: The health examination data of 624 staffs on offshore oil platforms of a Chinese state-owned oil company from the year of 2010 to 2014 were collected, and the prevalence of chronic diseases and noise-induced deafness were analyzed. Personal noise dosimeters were used to detect intensity of individual noise exposure during working days, and the 40 h equivalent sound pressure levels(LEX, W) were calculated. Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised [OSI-R, which includes three parts: Occupational Role Questionnaire(ORQ), Personal Strain Questionnaire(PSQ), and Personal Resources Questionnaire(PRQ)] were used to test the occupational stress for 72 staffs. Fasting venous blood was withdrawn both in the morning before staffs board the oil platform and the next morning after they went back to the land. Serum cortisol levels were determined by ELISA method. The multiple linear regression was conducted to analyze the correlation of serum cortisol with both intensity and duration of noise exposure and occupational stress.Results: 1. The prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and fatty liver were on top of all chronic diseases from the year of 2010 to 2014. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia and fatty liver in all staffs and in the group of age 20 s increased year by year(P<0.05). The prevalence of hypertension and hyperglycemia in the year of 2014 were higher than that in Chinese men. 2. Hearing thresholds in language frequency(500Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz) increased from 2010 to 2014(P<0.05). The prevalence of noise-induced deafness increased from 2011 to 2014(P<0.05). The prevalence of noise-induced deafness in the group of age 40 s increased rapidly. 3. The average intensity and duration of noise exposure of the staffs were 71.3 ± 8.3 d B(A) and 22.2 ± 8.3 days, respectively. The intensity of noise exposure in outdoor staffs were significantly higher than in indoor staffs(P<0.05). The differences of intensity of noise exposure among the various occupations in outdoor/indoor staffs were not significant(P >0.05). 4. There were staffs with high occupational stress, high personal strain, or few personal resources in every questionnaire or items except in Role Insufficiency(RI). PSQ were positively correlated with ORQ and negatively correlated with PRQ(P<0.05). The scores of ORQ were significantly higher than the Chinese norm(male)(P<0.05). The occupational stress were mainly in Responsible(R) and the Physical Environment(PE). The scores of ORQ and PSQ in staffs with the higher education level were significantly higher than those with the lower education level(P<0.05). The score of ORQ in administrators was significantly higher than workers(P<0.05). Staffs with different marital status, working ages and intensity of noise exposure had different scores in several items but not in questionnaires(P>0.05). 5. There were no significant differences of serum cortisol level between staffs with different intensity and duration of noise exposure before noise exposure(P>0.05). After noise exposure for a period of approximately 20 days, serum cortisol level of all staffs elevated significantly(P<0.05). Serum cortisol level of staffs exposed to noise ≥20 days was significantly higher than the staffs exposed to noise <20 days(P<0.05). The differences of serum cortisol level between staffs with different intensity of noise exposure were not statistically significant(P>0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that serum cortisol levels are associated with the PSQ(P<0.05), but not with ORQ and PRQ(P>0.05), and duration of noise exposure showed a significant positive correlation with serum cortisol elevation(P<0.05), but intensity of noise exposure didn’t.Conclusion: 1. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia and fatty liver in staffs on offshore oil platforms increased year by year. The incidence of chronic disease trended to be younger. The prevalence of hypertension and hyperglycemia were higher than in Chinese men. Staffs in the group of age 40 s had high risk of noise-induced deafness. 2. The differences of the intensity of noise exposure among staffs worked in the same environment were not statistically significant. The intensity of noise exposure of a few staffs still exceed the national occupational health standards after wearing anti-noise earplugs. 3. Occupational stress of staffs mainly in Responsible(R) and the Physical Environment(PE). Staffs with high education level and administrators show high occupational stress levels. 4. Occupational stress have an impact on serum cortisol levels. Noise exposure had a significant effect on serum cortisol elevation. It was duration of noise exposure that played a major role but not intensity of noise exposure. |
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