Health Consequences of Wintering in the French Southern and Antarctic Territories (MediTAAF)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Réunion

Status: Completed

Conditions: Winter Depression; Environmental Exposure; Immunologic Activity Alteration; Sleep Disorder; Endocrine System Diseases

Treatments: Other: Questionary

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04768621

2020/CHU/38

Details and patient eligibility

About

Polar stays expose people to extreme climate, isolation and confinement. The combination of these factors induces psychological disorders, sleep disorders, immune and endocrine disturbances, and deficiencies. In the TAAF, (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) two types of population coexist: winter residents, exposed to these stressors over long periods, and country people, who benefit from milder conditions and only make short stays. In this context, the investigators have decided to set up this cohort study with the objective of comparing the state of health of the winterers of the TAAF from 2012 to 2017 with that of the country people of the same period, before their stay, during and the year following their return.

Full description

Participants will answer to a questionnaire. This questionnaire will determinate participants health about following areas : psychological disorders, sleep disorders, immune and endocrine disturbances, and any deficiencies.

Enrollment: 232 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 99 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

for the exposed group are:

• To have carried out one or more wintering in one of the districts of the TAAF, that means a stay of at least six consecutive months including winter;
• Have started their first wintering between 01jan2012 and 31dec2017;
• Know how to read and write French.

for the non-exposed group are:

• To have taken part in one or more summer campaigns between 01jan2012 and 31dec2017;
• Never have overwintered;
• Not having been refused wintering for health reasons or following psychological tests;
• Knowing how to read and write French.

Exclusion criteria

• Persons under guardianship or guardianship, deceased persons, persons refusing to participate in the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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232 participants in 2 patient groups

Winter residents of Southern and Antartic French Lands,

Experimental group

Description:

people exposed to stressors over long periods including winter

Treatment:

Other: Questionary

Country people going to Southern and Antartic French Lands

Active Comparator group

Description:

people going to Southern and Antarctic French Lands who benefit from milder conditions and only make short stays

Treatment:

Other: Questionary