Body, Mind, and Vessel: Physical Fitness, Mental Well-Being, and Cognitive Load Management in Maritime Career Readiness

Abstract

Maritime vocational education commonly evaluates cadet competence through academic examinations, seamanship assessments, and English communication proficiency, while physical fitness, mental well-being, and cognitive load management receive comparatively limited attention as integrated dimensions of career readiness. This study examined the relationships among physical fitness, mental well-being, cognitive load, and career readiness among Nautika cadets and evaluated an eight-week integrated wellness programme. A two-phase sequential design was employed. In Phase 1, data were collected from 180 Nautika cadets at three Jakarta-area maritime institutions using the 20-metre shuttle run test for estimated VO₂max, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Paas Cognitive Load Questionnaire, and the Maritime Career Readiness Inventory (MCRI). In Phase 2, 90 cadets were randomly assigned to intervention (n=45) and waitlist control (n=45) groups. Baseline findings indicated that 61.1% of cadets had VO₂max values below 38 ml/kg/min, 28.3% reported at least mild depressive symptoms, and 47.2% reported high cognitive load during bridge simulation. Career readiness was significantly associated with VO₂max (r=0.61, p<0.001), PHQ-9 scores (r=-0.58, p<0.001), and cognitive load (r=-0.54, p<0.001). Following the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher career readiness than the control group (F(1,87)=24.83, p<0.001, η²=0.222). The findings indicate that maritime career readiness should be addressed as an integrated academic, physical, psychological, and cognitive construct. Maritime vocational institutions should incorporate structured physical training, progressive simulation design, and psychological skills development into Nautika education.