The Development and Evaluation of E-Learning for Professional Bus driver in Tanzania

BackgroundConsumption of energy drinks has become an escalating global public health problem. The work schedule and irregular sleeping habits of commercial bus drivers make them highly susceptible to getting fatigued, hence most of them consume energy drinks as a fatigue management strategy. However, consumption of energy drinks produces numerous psychomotor side effects that if consumed among drivers puts the traveling public in danger of road accidents. This study sought to assess the prevalence of energy drink consumption and awareness of associated potential health problems among commercial long-distance bus drivers operating from the Ho municipality.MethodsThe study population comprised about 266 commercial bus drivers. This was a cross-sectional study involving 132 participants who completed a structured questionnaire on the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, frequency of consumption and reasons for consumption. It also included questions to assess the knowledge of the ingredients and side effects of energy drinks. Respondents were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test of association were used to analyse the data.ResultsA majority (62.1%) of the drivers had more than 10 years of commercial driving experience. A 75% energy drink consumption prevalence was recorded with driving performance enhancement (78.8%) as the predominant reason for consumption. 7–10 bottles per week were consumed by most (32.2%) of the drivers. Also, 72.0% had poor knowledge of the side effects linked with energy drink consumption as well as the ingredients for preparation.ConclusionEnergy drinks were consumed by the majority of the drivers at the Ho main bus terminal of which most of the drivers had poor knowledge of the potential health problems linked with the consumption of these drinks. The consumption of energy drinks was observed to be higher among the drivers with lower education levels, higher monthly income and those who worked long hours in a day. The Ghana National Road Safety Commission (GNRC) in collaboration with other private road transport unions in Ghana should organize regular seminars for commercial bus drivers on the potential dangers and effects associated with energy drink consumption.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) has been identified as one of the significant risk factors for motor vehicle crashes (MVC). In Malaysia, the prevalence of OSA among general population and commercial...

Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) is a leading causes of occupational injury and disability among drivers and workers in the transport industry. This study evaluated the ergonomically assessed WMSD and its determinants among Nigerian commercial mini bus drivers (BD) and mini bus conductors (BC). A total of 379 participants (BD = 200, BC = 179) were purposively sampled for this exploratory cross-sectional study. Participants' WMSD and work related variables were respectively assessed using the standardized Nordic questionnaire and a content-validated, Driving Work Station Assessment (DWSA) form. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using chi-square and logistic regression. The level of significance was set at α = 0.05. The participants were aged between 20 and 66 years, with a mean age of 33.26±10.76years (BD = 38.42±10.22years, BC = 27.50±8.13years); most of whom consumed alcohol (84.4%) and experienced severe job stress (73.4%). There was a high prevalence (95.8%; BD = 94.5%, BC = 97.8%) of WMSDs, the lower back (66.8%) and upper back (54.1%) had the highest regional prevalence of WMSD. The BC (BC vs BD) had significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of Neck (47.7% vs 21.5%) and upper back (80.4% vs 30.5%) WMSDs. Conversely, the BD (BD vs BC) had significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of low-back (85.0% vs 46.4%), knee (25.0% vs 9.5%), elbow (11.5% vs 3.9%), and wrist (10.5% vs 3.4%) WMSD. There was a significant association between WMSD and each of work duration (X2 = 11.634, p = 0.009), work frequency (X2 = 8.394, p = 0.039), job dissatisfaction (X2 = 10.620, p = 0.001) and job stress (X2 = 16.879, p = 0.001). Working beyond 4days/week (OR = 10.019, p = 0.001), job dissatisfaction (OR = 1.990, p = 0.031), constrained working postures (OR = 5.324, p = 0.003) and fatigue (OR = 4.719, p = 0.002) were the predictors of WMSD. Job stress, work duration and work frequency, posture and fatigue are important determinants of WMSDs among mini bus drivers and their assistants in Nigeria. Ergonomics training intervention for this population is recommended.

2366 - Perception of Bus Drivers on Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Kaduna, Nigeria

Summer extreme heat threatens the health of individuals, especially persons who are involved in outdoor activities. Ensuring the normal function of a city, bus drivers are among those who participate in outdoor physical activities and are exposed to excessive heat in hot summer weather. This qualitative study was performed to explore professional bus drivers’ in-depth views of extreme heat risks to their health, and ultimately develop targeted advice and policy interventions for city bus drivers. An interview-based study was performed among professional bus drivers in Jinan, China, including four focus groups with professional bus drivers (n = 37) and three interviews with their managers (n = 14). Five central themes or categories from the bus driver interviews were found: concerns about summer heat; health effects related to extreme heat; adaptive measures; barriers in implementing these adaptive measures; and suggested interventions. The beneficial role of cooling facilities (particularly air-conditioning) during extreme heat are addressed. The barriers not only impede the implementation of behavioral adaptive measures but also enhance the negative attitudes of bus drivers towards their effectiveness. The responsibilities of managers in promoting preventive actions are addressed.

Shift Work and Arteriosclerosis Risk in Professional Bus Drivers

PurposeProfessional bus drivers risk developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and disability due to their working condition. The current study investigates the prevalence rate of MSP and disability among professional bus drivers.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 83 professional bus drivers. The prevalence rate of MSP was evaluated using a standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. The disabilities due to the MSP were evaluated using neck disability index (NDI), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) tools. Prevalence of MSP was presented with 95% of confidence interval (CI) at an alpha level of 0.05. The 12 months and 7 days prevalence of MSP were tabulated for analysing the trend of MSP between the upper and lower body regions.ResultsThe drivers had a mean driving experience of 10.07 ± 7.26 years. The mean driving hours/week were 50.25 ± 12.82 h. Neck and back were the most affected regions with a prevalence rate of 81.9% (N = 68) and 80.7% (N = 67) at 12 months. Back region recorded the highest 7 days prevalence rate for MSP with 53% (N = 44). Approximately one fourth of the bus drivers population (23.9%, N = 16) had moderate disability in back region. More than half with MSP in the neck region presented mild disability (54.4%, N = 37).ConclusionThe bus drivers reported a high prevalence rate of MSP in the neck, back and shoulder regions with mild to moderate disabilities. Appropriate health care and rehabilitation programs are necessary for the prevention and management of MSP among the bus drivers.

Ageing and performance in professional bus driving – A case study from Chile

Numerous studies have shown that city bus drivers suffer from three key categories of health disorders: cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and musculoskeletal system issues, affecting the individual’s ability to work. The aim of this research was to assess the working ability of bus drivers and to determine the connection between the level of physical activity and the work ability in professional bus drivers. The study protocol included an assessment of participants’ work ability using the Work Ability Index (WAI) Questionnaire on a sample of 115 bus drivers. A statistical analysis was performed using the SAS System software package (SAS Institute Inc., North Carolina, USA). The questionnaire for determining the work ability index indicated good or excellent work ability in 78 (67.8%) of bus drivers. Moderate work ability that needed to be improved was recorded in 27 (23.5%) of drivers, and poor work ability that needed to be restored in 10 (8.7%). The results of the regression analysis show that increasing the average number of steps per day by a 1,000 increases the WAI score by 0.8. The obtained data should serve as an important argument for the design of future public health and kinesiology interventions to improve the work ability in professional bus drivers.

Purpose: To evaluate the quality of visual function and visual acuity both static and dynamic in professional bus drivers in three cities of India. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Eye Clinic of Department of Optometry, Chandigarh Group of College, Jhanjeri, Mohali, Punjab, India from April, 2024 toJune, 2024. Methods: A sample of 215 professional bus drivers aged 25 to 45 from the Tricity was selected with best corrected visual acuity of 6/6, with or without a refractive error (up to +/-3.00 spherical). The drivers with at least one year of driving experience and a minimum of five hours of daylight driving each day were included.Refractive error, static visual acuity (SVA) and dynamic visual acuity (DVA), color vision, contrast vision, glare vision and stereo vision were assessed. Results: The mean age of participants was 32±5.9. There was a significant difference in SVA and DVA of the same person (p &lt;0.00001). The time taken for the evaluation of the DVA was lesser as compared to the SVA.A moderate positive correlation was observed between visual acuity and stereopsis (rs=0.43) and between visual acuity and contrast sensitivity (rs=0.41), while other visual parameters showed weak or negligible associations. Conclusion: Visual acuity and related visual qualities significantly influence driving performance, emphasizing the need to assess both static and dynamic visual acuity in professional drivers.

Road safety outcome is a complex issue involving high number of risk factors and indicators that contributes to road accidents and their severity related to human-vehicle–road interactions. This requires a multi-dimensional model in order to fully understand the road safety situation especially among commercial bus drivers. This study identified some of the risk factors with the objective of establishing the relationship between them through a model for assessing the road safety outcome. The model was developed using data collected from 465 commercial bus drivers in Johor, Malaysia. The estimated model yielded significant relationship between the risk factors (Drivers, Vehicle and Road) and road safety outcomes. The statistical analysis of these risk factors shows that the model has significant fit to the data. The results therefore, yielded a road safety output guideline formula suitable for road safety performance indicator for safety practitioners and stakeholders. The study pointed out three critical risk factors (e.g. Drivers, Vehicle and Road) with their various levels of risk contributions as influence on road safety among commercial bus. Six recommendations based on this finding were made in an attempt to reduce commercial bus accidents.

Buses were the main mode of public transport in urban areas. Driving a bus in urban area is a highly demanding job and requires lot of physical and mental stability to perform the task with minimal hazards. The bus drivers are under continuous stress during the working hours and are prone for many diseases related to changes induced by stress, especially the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of our study is to estimate the blood pressure and lipid profile in bus drivers which are the markers of increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk resulting from stress. The study design was a cross sectional study. The study group is divided into two groups. Group A consists of 50 male subjects who were professional bus drivers and Group B consists of 50 male subjects who were in control group. Blood pressure was measured and blood lipid profile were estimated for both study and control groups, in fasting blood sample. The test was done in our Biochemistry lab by standard enzymatic technique CHOD-PAP, End point method. Statistical analysis was done using the student “t” test. There was statistically significant increase in systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001) in professional bus drivers compared to control. There was also a highly significant increase in Total cholesterol (p < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001) and decrease in HDL-cholesterol level (p < 0.05) in bus drivers compared to controls. The study concludes that stress plays an important risk factor in professional bus drivers and can have cumulative effect to cause acute cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event which can be fatal to the driver.

Introduction Bus drivers are exposed to whole body vibration (WBV) and postural stress, both risk factors for low back pain (LBP). The study aimed to (1) assess WBV exposure and (2) evaluate the effect of an intervention to reduce LBP. Methods Exposure to WBV was assessed by measuring vibration levels (i.e., weighted root mean square acceleration [Aw] and vibration dose value [VDV]) in nine buses. For the intervention study, a toolbox presentation including ergonomic and lifestyle advice and an exercise program was instructed interactively to bus drivers. Two questionnaires (pre– and post–intervention) were constructed based on the VIBRISKS questionnaire to evaluate the effect of the intervention on LBP prevalence and to assess associated risk factors (e.g., manual material handling, seating posture, and WBV). The bus drivers’ motivation to change driving behaviour was also evaluated. Results The vibration levels never exceeded the exposure limits [Aw: 1.15 m/s 2 , VDV: 21 m/s 1 .75 ]. Only in one bus, the Aw (0.56 m/s 2 ), were the levels slightly higher than the action limit [0.5 m/s 2 ]. Four buses had a VDV (9.56 m/s 1 .75 , 13.0 m/s 1 .75 , 10.7 m/s 1 .75 and 11.0 m/s 1 .75 ) that exceeded the action limit [9.1 m/s 1 .75 ]. Sixty and 47 bus drivers participated in the pre– and post–intervention, respectively. The prevalence of LBP in the previous seven days decreased significantly (p=0.02). The score on correct lifting techniques was a significant determinant (p=0.046) in predicting LBP in the previous seven days (OR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.98). There was a significant post–intervention increase in knowledge about correct seating posture (p=0.001), and 95.5% of the bus drivers were willing to maintain their behavioural change. Discussion WBV exposure should be frequently evaluated to maintain below action-limit levels. Although this study revealed a significant reduction in LBP prevalence in the previous seven days, further research is needed in a randomised controlled trial design.

Driver behaviour and traffic accident involvement among professional urban bus drivers in China

Background and purpose: Professional drivers as a group are exposed to high risk of developing low back pain due to ergonomic factors and work conditions. The purpose of the study was to examine to what extent the low back pain occurs among Slovene professional drivers as a result of the development of various psychosocial factors. Methodology: The study involved 275 respondents (professional bus drivers, car/van drivers, international truck/lorry drivers, and ambulance car drivers). Hypotheses were tested using multivariate statistical method (regression analysis) and analysis of variance. Data were collected by structured questionnaire comprised of three parts: socio-demographic data, basic psychosocial factors causing low back pain, and incidence, duration and severity of low back pain as a result of psychosocial risk factors, was implemented. Results: The results of quantitative survey suggest that low back pain is mostly caused by lifting and carrying heavy loads, inadequate working conditions, poor physical fitness, regular nights out, shift work, and stress. Only the impact of gender on low back pain distress among professional drivers was confirmed, predominantly among bus drivers and lorry drivers on international routes. Low back pain occurrence was less common, albeit not statistically significant, among professional drivers of vans and passenger cars. Conclusion: Our study suggests that psychosocial factors are also important cause for the development of low back pain among professional drivers and can limit the quality of their social and professional lives.