Dataset Information

Working nights and lower leisure-time physical activity associate with chronic pain in Southern African long-distance truck drivers: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: Background: In South Africa, the trucking industry employs over 70,000 people and the prevalence of chronic pain in this occupational group was reported at 10%. We investigated factors associated with chronic pain in truck drivers including mental health, physical activity, and sleep, as no study has done so.

Methods: Southern African male, long-distance truck drivers were recruited at truck stops in Gauteng and Free State Provinces, South Africa (n = 614). Chronic pain was defined as pain present for at least the last three months. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, post-traumatic stress disorder with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), exposure to traumatic events with the Life Events Checklist-5 (LEC-5) and daytime sleepiness with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Sleep quality was measured on a four-point Likert scale. Leisure-time physical activity was measured using the Godin-Shephard leisure-time physical activity questionnaire. Associations between these factors, demographic factors and chronic pain were investigated.

Results: Multivariate analysis showed that working ? 2 nights/week (OR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.55-4.68) was associated with chronic pain and physical activity was protective (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.98). In an exploratory analysis, greater depressive symptoms (p = 0.004), daytime sleepiness (p = 0.01) and worse sleep quality (p = 0.001) was associated with working ? 2 nights/week. Lower leisure-time physical activity was associated with worse sleep quality (p = 0.006), but not daytime sleepiness or depressive symptoms (p>0.05).

Conclusions: There is a clear relationship between working nights and activity levels, and chronic pain, sleep quality, and depression in truck drivers.

SUBMITTER: Wadley AL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7714191 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Working nights and lower leisure-time physical activity associate with chronic pain in Southern African long-distance truck drivers: A cross-sectional study.

Wadley Antonia L AL Iacovides Stella S Roche Johanna J Scheuermaier Karine K Venter W D Francois WDF Vos Alinda G AG Lalla-Edward Samanta T ST

PloS one 20201203 12

<h4>Background</h4>In South Africa, the trucking industry employs over 70,000 people and the prevalence of chronic pain in this occupational group was reported at 10%. We investigated factors associated with chronic pain in truck drivers including mental health, physical activity, and sleep, as no study has done so.<h4>Methods</h4>Southern African male, long-distance truck drivers were recruited at truck stops in Gauteng and Free State Provinces, South Africa (n = 614). Chronic pain was defined ...[more]

PMID: 33270793

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Project description:ObjectivesLifestyle 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.SettingThe study took place across three truck-stop rest areas in the South African provinces of Free State and Gauteng.ParticipantsEligibility 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 measuresThe 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.ResultsIn 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.ConclusionThis first holistic assessment of health among southern African male truck drivers demonstrates substantial addressable cardiovascular risk factors, mental health issues and sexual risk behaviours.

Dataset Information

Working nights and lower leisure-time physical activity associate with chronic pain in Southern African long-distance truck drivers: A cross-sectional study.

Publications

Working nights and lower leisure-time physical activity associate with chronic pain in Southern African long-distance truck drivers: A cross-sectional study.

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