An investigation on physical growth of the children of offshore and based staff working in Iranian National Drilling Company in Ahvaz, Iran

Parents are the first providers of psychological and physical needs of the children, and the role of father in fulfillment of these needs is clear. Periodical absence of a man due to offshore work not only affects his spouse but also the children as well. The present study aimed to compare the physical growth status of the children of offshore staff working for Iranian National Drilling Company with based staff.

This is an historical Cohort (retrospective cohort) study in which 80 male and 80 female primary school students of the staff working in Iranian National Drilling Company were selected through random sampling method. Data collection tool was a digital scale and a standard tape meter to measure weight and height of the children. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression through SPSS.

Data analysis showed that mean weight, height and BMI were 137.21 cm, 35.74 kg, and 18.35 among the offshore staff’s children, and 145.8 cm, 43.74 kg and 20.25 in based staff’s children respectively. By use of National Standard growth charts of Iranian Ministry of Health, the number of children with delayed growth was calculated, and compared in both groups. The results showed that the highest frequency in offshore staff group was for the children with normal BMI (42.8%), and in based staff group, it was for the overweight children (52.5%). Meanwhile, the BMI showed no significant difference between the children in offshore and based groups. The percentages of short stature among the children in offshore and based staff groups were 20% and 3.8% respectively, which shows a significant difference.

Based on the findings, fathers’ periodical offshore work is associated with a reduction in children’s height growth, but this association is not significant for BMI.