Qualitative Study of Health Disorders of Traditional Divers

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we examined the characteristics of health problems associated with traditional divers (N = 10) so as to provide responsive prevention and intervention for persons engaged in this informal occupation. Methods: For this qualitative research we used a phenomenological design. We conducted data analysis in 2 ways: (1) we mapped the responses of our participants to interview questions, and (2) we applied ATLAS.Ti22 software for analytic description. Results: Complaints of muscle cramps were felt by 4 participants who consumed < 2 liters of water per day, 2 persons with a body mass index (BMI) in the obese category, and one diver who was overweight. Ear complaints were related to diving depth, diving duration, cigarette smoking, and BMI. Muscle complaints were related to water consumption, dive depth, and BMI is 0.22. Conclusion: Education, surveillance, and policy initiatives are necessary to minimize the negative health effects of traditional diving.