Aim: To study the morbidity profile of the fishermen community in the last six months residing in Ennore Creek, Bay of Bengal in India.
Settings and Design: A cross sectional study done among the fishing community in Ennore Creek which is located at the fringe area of North Chennai of Thiruvallur District, Tamilnadu.
Methods and Materials: This study was conducted among the fishing community in Ennore Creek which is located at the fringe area of North Chennai of Thiruvallur District, Tamilnadu. The cluster sampling method was adopted and 30 clusters were randomly selected by the probability proportionate to size (PPS) method. The structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding details of the symptoms of the illness, duration of illness and observation of records regarding the illness. The study population included individuals with illness who are living in the nine fishing wards of Ennore Creek for the last six months.
Statistical analysis: Data entry and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15 software. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the types of illness and their treatment seeking pattern.
Results: Among the 780 subjects who have had illness in the last six months, orthopaedic and musculoskeletal disorders were seemingly predominant in 112 (14.4%) subjects while respiratory diseases were reported by 106 (13.6%) subjects. In this study, 86 (11%) subjects suffered from systemic disorders. Gastrointestinal problems were found in 85 (10.9%) subjects while 76 (9.7%) of them were diagnosed with skin problems. ENT disorders were reported by 65 (8.3%) subjects while gynaecological problems were reported by 54 (6.9%) subjects and eye disorders were reported by 33(4.2%) subjects. Cardiovascular diseases were reported by 28 (3.6%) subjects while disorders in central nervous system were present in 27 (3.5%) subjects and genito - urinary disorders were reported by 20 (2.6%) subjects.
Conclusion: Fishing is not simply a job but it is a way of life with its own traditions and values. Globally, fishing community is one of the disadvantaged groups as it bears the denial of health care reforms in terms of receiving health care services. Knowledge and comprehensive understanding about their morbidity profile are essential to design of health care and environmental interventions according to the needs and priorities.
There is need to specifically target and improve the occupational lifestyle of fishermen. Various interventions like health promotion activities, education on environmental sanitation, measures for adoption of healthy lifestyle, initiatives to deal with the challenge due to environmental degradation, legislative measures to curb the release of pollutants of the industries are some of the legitimate issues to be addressed.