Published In

Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Medicine

Document Type

Post-Print

Publication Date

7-1-2018

Subjects

Industrial medicine, Trucking -- Health aspects, Truck drivers -- United States -- Health risk assessment

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the general and sexual health of long-haul truck drivers in the United States.

Methods: Drivers were recruited from company sites and truck stops in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi. A sample of 266 drivers was assessed for lifestyle activities; body mass index and blood pressure were measured, and biologic samples were taken for cholesterol, diabetes, and sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV testing.

Results: The drivers in this study had higher levels of cholesterol and higher rates of smoking, obesity, and diabetes than the U.S average. STI/HIV infection rates were lower than the U.S. average.

Conclusion: Long-haul truck driving is a stressful occupation with few opportunities for healthy living. Stress reduction, wellness programs, and better food and exercise options at truck stops should be adopted for the benefit of truckers and the safety of the driving public.

Description

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Medicine. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Medicine, [60, 7, (July 1, 2018)]

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0000000000001319

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/27701

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