TY - JOUR
T1 - Cross-sectional study of the health of southern African truck drivers
AU - Lalla-Edward, Samanta Tresha
AU - Fischer, Alex Emilio
AU - Venter, W D Francois
AU - Scheuermaier, Karine
AU - Meel, Ruchika
AU - Hankins, Catherine
AU - Gomez, Gabriela
AU - Klipstein-Grobusch, Kerstin
AU - Draaijer, Melvin
AU - Vos, Alinda G
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding This work was funded by North Star Alliance through a research and implementation grant received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, managed by the Royal Dutch Embassy of Mozambique. The Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development and Wits RHI held separate contracts with North Star Alliance (AIGHD’s grant reference: 0068 North Star – NSCDP; RHI’s grant number: D1404070).The views of this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of the funders or the South African and Dutch governments.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Author(s).
PY - 2019/10/28
Y1 - 2019/10/28
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Lifestyle and working conditions of truck drivers predisposes them to risk-factors associated with communicable and non-communicable diseases, but little is known about the health status of African truck driver. This study aims to assess a cross-section of truckers in South Africa to describe their health information.SETTING: The study took place across three truck-stop rest areas in the South African provinces of Free State and Gauteng.PARTICIPANTS: Eligibility criteria included being males aged 18 years and older, full-time employment as a long-distance truck driver. A total of 614 male truck drivers participated; 384 (63%) were Zimbabwean and 325 (55%) completed high-school.PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The trucker survey explored demographics; working conditions; sexual, eating and sleeping behaviours; mental health status, medical history and cardiac risk-factors. Medical assessments included physical measurements, glucose and lipid measurements, ECG, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and cardiac ultrasound.RESULTS: In the previous month, 554 (91%) participants were sexually active; 522 (86%) had sex with a regular partner; 174 (27%) with a casual partner; 87 (14%) with a sex worker. Average time driving was 10 hours/day, 20 days/month, 302 (50%) never worked night shifts and 74 (12%) worked nights approximately four times per week. 112 (18%) experienced daytime sleepiness and 59 (10%) were ever hospitalised from an accident. Forty-seven (8%, 95% CI 5.3 to 9.5) were HIV-positive, with half taking antiretrovirals. Forty-eight (8%) truckers had some moderate depression, while 21 (4%) suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Reported tuberculosis, myocardial infarction, and diabetes were <3%. Prominent cardiac risk-factors included smoking (n=63, 11%), consuming alcohol (>15 drinks/week) (n=54, 9%), overweight/obesity (n=417, 69%), and hypertension (n=220, 36%,95% CI 32.1 to 39.7). ECG results showed 23 (4.9%) and 29 (5.3%) drivers had left ventricular hypertrophy using the Cornell criterion and product, respectively. CIMT measurements indicated nine (4.2%) drivers had a carotid atherosclerotic plaque.CONCLUSION: This first holistic assessment of health among southern African male truck drivers demonstrates substantial addressable cardiovascular risk factors, mental health issues and sexual risk behaviours.
AB - OBJECTIVES: Lifestyle and working conditions of truck drivers predisposes them to risk-factors associated with communicable and non-communicable diseases, but little is known about the health status of African truck driver. This study aims to assess a cross-section of truckers in South Africa to describe their health information.SETTING: The study took place across three truck-stop rest areas in the South African provinces of Free State and Gauteng.PARTICIPANTS: Eligibility criteria included being males aged 18 years and older, full-time employment as a long-distance truck driver. A total of 614 male truck drivers participated; 384 (63%) were Zimbabwean and 325 (55%) completed high-school.PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The trucker survey explored demographics; working conditions; sexual, eating and sleeping behaviours; mental health status, medical history and cardiac risk-factors. Medical assessments included physical measurements, glucose and lipid measurements, ECG, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and cardiac ultrasound.RESULTS: In the previous month, 554 (91%) participants were sexually active; 522 (86%) had sex with a regular partner; 174 (27%) with a casual partner; 87 (14%) with a sex worker. Average time driving was 10 hours/day, 20 days/month, 302 (50%) never worked night shifts and 74 (12%) worked nights approximately four times per week. 112 (18%) experienced daytime sleepiness and 59 (10%) were ever hospitalised from an accident. Forty-seven (8%, 95% CI 5.3 to 9.5) were HIV-positive, with half taking antiretrovirals. Forty-eight (8%) truckers had some moderate depression, while 21 (4%) suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Reported tuberculosis, myocardial infarction, and diabetes were <3%. Prominent cardiac risk-factors included smoking (n=63, 11%), consuming alcohol (>15 drinks/week) (n=54, 9%), overweight/obesity (n=417, 69%), and hypertension (n=220, 36%,95% CI 32.1 to 39.7). ECG results showed 23 (4.9%) and 29 (5.3%) drivers had left ventricular hypertrophy using the Cornell criterion and product, respectively. CIMT measurements indicated nine (4.2%) drivers had a carotid atherosclerotic plaque.CONCLUSION: This first holistic assessment of health among southern African male truck drivers demonstrates substantial addressable cardiovascular risk factors, mental health issues and sexual risk behaviours.
KW - cohort
KW - HIV
KW - NCDs
KW - South Africa
KW - truck driver
KW - Zimbabwe
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074303480&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032025
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032025
M3 - Article
C2 - 31662399
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 9
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 10
M1 - e032025
ER -