Stereotypes and health literacy in seafarers: views of the students of medicine and maritime science on contraception

Abstract

Background: There are a number of stereotypes of seafarers in today's society. In Croatia, the prevailing stereotype assumes that they are a specific population having an ideal life and a great time both at sea and at home and have a liberal worldview. In the reality, seafaring is a hardly, demanding, stressful and high-risk occupation. The goal of this research was to gain comparative insights into the standpoints of the students of the University of Split Faculty of Maritime Studies and School of Medicine on the issues regarding reproductive health and contraception. Materials and methods: We used the views on contraception questionnaire created by Kelly J. Black from the University of Washington. The respondents participating in the research are the students of the two constituent faculties at the University of Split: School of Medicine and the Faculty of Maritime Studies. A total of 274 students took part in the research, out of which 116 were female students. Results: There is a significant difference in the attitude to the use of contraception, which is more positive in female student population. The students of medical science have a more positive attitude to contraception than their peers at the Faculty of Maritime Studies. Conclusions: Considering the results obtained through the survey and the information from relevant sources, it can be concluded that it is necessary to enhance health literacy in the seafaring population, given the challenges in their working and living environment.