Abstract:
Introduction: Long distance commercial driving as an
occupation exposes drivers to various disease conditions.
Commercial driving is a hazardous occupation as long
hours are spent driving on risky highways. This study
seeks to determine the morbidity pattern among
commercial long distance drivers, and factors affecting it.
Materials and methods: A descriptive cross sectional
study design was used, and data was collected from 315
commercial long distance drivers from January to October,
2013. Respondents were recruited using systematic random
sampling technique. Study instruments included structured
interviewer administered questionnaires.
Results: The results showed that all respondents had a
normal neurological and abdominal examinations
had abnormal fasting blood glucose levels. A
, 9.5%
third
(33.3%) were hypertensive, 29.9% were pre-hypertensive,
nearly half (48.3%) were overweight, 12.7% obese, 39.0%
had normal BMI obese, majority 87.6% had an abnormal
waist-hip ratio. Twenty six (8.3%) said they face stress
always and 40.6% stated that they face stress sometimes.
Most (80.3%) revealed that their cause of stress were work
related, 4.1% were due to home problems and 15.6% both
work and homes issues. On diagnosed morbidity pattern
and perceived health problems, 31.4% of drivers were
currently being treated by a doctor at the time of the study
due to illness, 12.4% were diagnosed of hypertension and
heart disease, 11.7% diagnosed of peptic ulcer, 9.2% had
joint pains (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle joints) ,
9.2% had URTI, 5.4% impaired vision, 5.1% had diabetes,
5.1% had back pain, 1.6% had a blackout and fainting
spells, 0.6% hypoglycaemic event, while 1 (0.3%) had
suffered a stroke
On self reported morbidity, about three quarters of the
drivers (74.6%) complained of back pain, others in the
previous six months were Malaria (66.0%), headache
(63.8%), Fever from other causes (52.7%). fatigue (51.7%)
, cough (43.5%) , cold and catarrh (42.9%). Other healthproblems mentioned were neck pain (41.9%), drunk on
alcohol (24.8%), visual problems (26.0%), Hypertension
(9.5%), ear ache (8.9%) , pneumonia (7.0%),
haemorrhoids (5.7%) , 15 (4.8%) diabetes, penile
discharge (9.2%), No respondent reported having seizures,
kidney disease, hearing problem and psychiatric illness.
Conclusion:.Common morbidities affecting commercial
drivers as diagnosed by a doctor include: hypertension,
heart disease, peptic ulcer, joint pains, upper respiratory
tract infection (URTI), back pain, diabetes, and impaired
vision. Health problems based on their perception were
back pain, malaria, headache, fever from other causes,
fatigue, cough, cold and catarrh, neck pain, penile
discharge, ear ache and visual problems.
