Investigating obesity among professional drivers: The high risk professional driver study

• Published in: American journal of industrial medicine Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 212 - 219
• Main Authors: Rosso, Gian Luca, Perotto, Massimo, Feola, Mauro, Bruno, Graziella, Caramella, Michele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; driver health; Educational Status; Female; Humans; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Motor Vehicles; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Odds Ratio; Prevalence; professional drivers; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Transportation; Travel - statistics & numerical data; Italy; professional drivers; risk factors; obesity; driver health
• ISSN: 0271-3586; 1097-0274; 1097-0274
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22400

Objective The aim of this study is to detect the main individual and transportation factors associated with obesity and its prevalence among Italian professional drivers (PDs). Methods We performed a cross‐sectional questionnaire survey. Data from PDs (n = 497) were used for analyses. Results Sixty‐one percent of participants were either overweight or obese according to their body mass index. Predictive factors for obesity were traveling more than 40,000 miles per year (odds ratio [OR] 4.20, confidence interval [CI] 1.41–12.56) and hours spent behind the wheel per day (OR 1.27, CI 1.02–1.58). Bus drivers had half the risk of being obese compared to truck drivers (OR 0.45, CI 0.23–0.87). An inverse association was detected between educational attainment and obesity (OR 0.32, CI 0.11–0.90). Conclusions PDs with high number of driving hours per day, miles driven per year, and low educational level should be subject to special educational programs to reduce and prevent obesity. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:212–219, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.