Multinational comparison study of aircraft pilot healthcare avoidance behaviour.


Journal

Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)
ISSN: 1471-8405
Titre abrégé: Occup Med (Lond)
Pays: England
ID NLM: 9205857

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
20 Oct 2023
Historique:
pubmed: 4 9 2023
medline: 4 9 2023
entrez: 2 9 2023
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

US and Canadian pilots are required to meet medical standards to secure their active flying status, but a subgroup exhibit healthcare avoidance behaviour due to fear of loss of that status. This phenomenon has the potential to impact pilot health, aeromedical screening and aviation safety. No international comparison study of pilot healthcare avoidance currently exists between US and Canadian pilots. To compare the rate and subtypes of healthcare avoidance behaviour secondary to fear for loss of flying status between US and Canadian pilots. A comparison analysis of data collected during two independent, non-probabilistic, cross-sectional internet surveys including any individual certified to perform flying duties in the USA (US survey) or Canada (Canadian survey). There were 4320 US pilots and 1415 Canadian pilots who completed informed consent and 3765 US pilots and 1405 Canadian pilots were included in the results. There were 56% of US pilots who reported a history of healthcare avoidance behaviour compared to 55% of Canadian pilots (P = 0.578). A multivariable logistic regression that included age, pilot type and gender showed that US pilots were slightly more likely than Canadian pilots to report this behaviour (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.4). Healthcare avoidance behaviour due to fear of loss of flying status has a relatively high prevalence in both US and Canadian pilot populations.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
US and Canadian pilots are required to meet medical standards to secure their active flying status, but a subgroup exhibit healthcare avoidance behaviour due to fear of loss of that status. This phenomenon has the potential to impact pilot health, aeromedical screening and aviation safety. No international comparison study of pilot healthcare avoidance currently exists between US and Canadian pilots.
AIMS OBJECTIVE
To compare the rate and subtypes of healthcare avoidance behaviour secondary to fear for loss of flying status between US and Canadian pilots.
METHODS METHODS
A comparison analysis of data collected during two independent, non-probabilistic, cross-sectional internet surveys including any individual certified to perform flying duties in the USA (US survey) or Canada (Canadian survey).
RESULTS RESULTS
There were 4320 US pilots and 1415 Canadian pilots who completed informed consent and 3765 US pilots and 1405 Canadian pilots were included in the results. There were 56% of US pilots who reported a history of healthcare avoidance behaviour compared to 55% of Canadian pilots (P = 0.578). A multivariable logistic regression that included age, pilot type and gender showed that US pilots were slightly more likely than Canadian pilots to report this behaviour (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.4).
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
Healthcare avoidance behaviour due to fear of loss of flying status has a relatively high prevalence in both US and Canadian pilot populations.

Identifiants

pubmed: 37658781
pii: 7258910
doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqad091
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

434-438

Informations de copyright

© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Auteurs

W R Hoffman (WR)

Department of Neurology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, 78234USA.
Department of Aerospace Science, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 58202USA.

P K Patel (PK)

Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1Canada.

J Aden (J)

Department of Graduate Medical Education, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, 78234USA.

A Willis (A)

Department of Neurology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, 78234USA.

J P Acker (JP)

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3Canada.
Innovation and Portfolio Management, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R8Canada.

E Bjerke (E)

Department of Aerospace Science, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 58202USA.

E Miranda (E)

Department of Neurology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, 78234USA.

J Luster (J)

Department of Neurology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, 78234USA.

A Tvaryanas (A)

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma City, OK, 73169USA.

Classifications MeSH