Health-promoting lifestyles in workers of a marine platform in the Gulf of Mexico

To study the daily habits helps to understand the behavioral diversity of people, as well as the action and purpose of their life. To study these aspects contribute also to understand how the life habits affect the health of each worker in their labor performance and the attachment to the hygienic measures. This research rises from the need to quantitatively know the Health Promoting Lifestyles in workers of a marine installation dedicated to crude oil and natural gas processing in the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, the objective is to know the life style profiles of the workers according to the Model of Nola Pender.  For this purpose, the workers answered the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), which includes the following sub-elements: nutrition, exercise, handling of stress, interpersonal support, responsibility in health and self-care behavior. The study was observational and comparative. The selection of the sample was made using a simple random method. The HPLP questionnaire was delivered in printed version and explained to the workers. Once finished the questionnaire validation, the analysis of the data was conducted using MS Excel. As a result, the degree of lifestyle-promoting conducts of the studied population was 2.64 equivalent to a 66% of the reachable maximum, not showing a significant difference with international studies; nonetheless, is evident that variations in each sub-element exist. In summary, we proposed that educational sessions should not be focused only on the diagnosis reactive actions, also parallel educational programs must be implemented by the employer oriented to the sub-elements, as well as to continue with the ordinary medical activities of the operative programs.  With these programs, workers could get rid of the idea that they are ill only when they have signs or symptoms.