An Occupational Health Survey of British Mountain Guides Operating Internationally

• Published in: Wilderness & environmental medicine 2019-09, Vol.30 (3), p.236-243
• Main Authors: Harkensee, Christian, Hillebrandt, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Disease Management; environmental exposure; Female; Humans; lifestyle; lower extremity; Male; Middle Aged; Mountaineering - statistics & numerical data; Occupational Diseases - prevention & control; Occupational Health - statistics & numerical data; post-traumatic; Quality of Life; Risk Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Self Report; stress disorder; Travel - statistics & numerical data; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 1080-6032; 1545-1534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2019.03.007

Professional mountain guides face significant occupational health risks, including injuries, accidents, environmental exposures, chronic musculoskeletal strain, and psychological stressors. This study aims to investigate these risks and their impact on the quality of life of a group of international British mountain guides. This self-reported online survey included demographics; acute and chronic occupational conditions; and questions on general health, lifestyle, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and quality of life based on the World Health Organization quality of life [WHOQOL-BREF] questionnaire. Responses were received from 67 (32%) of the approached guides. Knee pain (75%), back and neck pain (62%), hand/upper extremity problems (51%), and lower limb injuries (49%) were the most commonly reported individual occupational health problems. Chronic eye problems were reported by 8%, and 5% reported skin cancer. Twenty-nine percent were on regular medications, which were mainly analgesics for chronic musculoskeletal complaints. Mountain guides have a healthy lifestyle, with lower rates of being overweight/obese, alcohol consumption, and smoking than the average UK population. Fourteen (61%) of the 23 guides responding to the PTSD questions reported experiencing life-threatening traumatic incidents, and 4 (25%) of this subgroup appear to have had some symptoms of PTSD. The quality of life assessment showed that the studied mountain guides have a high quality of life. Musculoskeletal problems are the main occupational health problems experienced by the study group. New findings include a low but important prevalence of ultraviolet radiation–associated conditions. One in 3 guides have experienced significant psychological trauma, and one quarter of these had symptoms of PTSD.