Time in Nature Associated with Decreased Fatigue in UK Truck Drivers.

Daniel P Longman,Aron P Sherry,Katharina Ruettger,Mohsen Sayyah,Stacy A Clemes,Amber Guest,James A King,Veronica Varela-Mato,Colin N Shaw,Yu-Ling Chen,Nicola J Paine

doi:10.3390/ijerph18063158

Abstract

Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driving is recognised as a highly hazardous occupation due to the long periods of sedentary behaviour, low levels of physical activity and unhealthy food options when working. These risk factors combine with shift work and concomitant irregular sleep patterns to increase the prevalence of fatigue. Fatigue is closely linked with stress and, subsequently, poor physiological and psychological health. In parallel, a wealth of evidence has demonstrated the health and wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature. Here, we sought to examine whether spending time in nature was associated with lower levels of fatigue, anxiety and depression in HGV drivers. 89 long-distance drivers (98.9% male, mean ± SD age: 51.0 ± 9 years, body mass index: 29.8 ± 4.7 kg/m2) participating in a wider health promotion programme reported time spent in nature (during and before the Covid-19 pandemic) and symptoms of occupational fatigue, depression and anxiety. After controlling for covariates, truck drivers who visited nature at least once a week exhibited 16% less chronic fatigue prior to the pandemic, and 23% less chronic fatigue and 20% less acute fatigue during the pandemic. No significant differences were observed for either anxiety or depression. As fatigue has a range of physical and mental health sequelae, we propose that increased exposure to natural settings may make a valuable contribution to interventions to promote the health and wellbeing of this underserved group.

Highlights

Baseline characteristics of the 89 participants (42 of whom were in the intervention arm) included in this paper did not differ significantly to the remainder of participants within the Structured Health Intervention For Truckers (SHIFT) randomised controlled trial (RCT), suggesting this sub-sample are largely representative of the wider cohort
There were no differences at baseline between participants completing the online survey, and the wider cohort in terms of age, duration working as a Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver, hours worked per week, body mass index (BMI), self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, acute fatigue, physical activity levels and sleep duration (p > 0.05)
This study investigated the associations between exposure to nature and symptoms of acute and chronic fatigue, and anxiety and depression, in a sample of HGV drivers both prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic

Summary

Introduction

Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driving is recognised as a highly hazardous occupation. Inherent health-related risk factors include prolonged periods of sedentary behaviour (sitting), low levels of habitual physical activity and unhealthy food options when working. Shift work and long and/or inconsistent working hours combine with tight delivery schedules to underpin a growing body of epidemiological evidence suggesting that HGV drivers are at high risk of developing stress and associated diseases [1]. Organization recognises the threat to health posed by stress, describing it as the ‘health epidemic of the 21st Century’ [2]. The negative effects of stress are far-reaching, with profound consequences for population health and wellbeing. The impending global mental health crisis, predicted by the United Nations to arise from

Results

Discussion

Conclusion