Prevalence of low back pain in professional drivers: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This meta-review aimed to investigate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in professional drivers.

STUDY DESIGN

This study is a meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of LBP in professional drivers up to August 2023. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was utilized for cross-sectional analytical studies. Statistical analysis of the included outcome indicators was conducted using Stata 16.0. The prevalence of LBP among professional drivers was measured using the random effects model, and heterogeneity was evaluated utilizing subgroup analysis. This meta-analysis review was registered with PROSPERO on April 28, 2023, under the registration number CRD42023422205.

RESULTS

In total, 1, 558 results met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 53 studies were included. The meta-analysis results indicated that professional drivers had a LBP prevalence of 35.0%, 95%CI (0.266, 0.433) for one week, 33.80%, 95%CI (0.233, 0.443) for one month, and 55.30%, 95%CI (0.503,0.603) for one year. In the global population of professional drivers, the prevalence of LBP was 56.0%, 95%CI (0.472, 0.648) and 54.5%, 95%CI (0.488, 0.602) without and with a history and high risk of LBP, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

LBP remains prevalent among international drivers and has multiple contributing factors, highlighting the urgent need for increased awareness and prevention strategies.

[Legal aspects of driving and cardiovascular diseases : Guidelines of German Cardiac Society and the German government in comparison]

BACKGROUND

The general regulations for an active participation in the road traffic in the Federal Republic of Germany are laid down in the Driving License Ordinance ("Fahrerlaubnisverordnung" ) (including appendices). Cardiovascular diseases with a need for precautionary measures and the circumstances according to which the driving fitness is to be determined are reviewed in appendix 4 of the ordinance. The guidelines of the Federal Highway Research Institute ("Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen") must also be considered when assessing the fitness to drive.

OBJECTIVES

Presentation of the current legal recommendations in the assessment of the driving fitness in the respect to cardiovascular diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The current official regulations and the recommendations on the fitness to drive in the case of cardiovascular diseases were assessed. In addition, the pocket guidelines of the German Society for Cardiology (DGK) on the subject were reviewed.

RESULTS

As the type of vehicle and time at the wheel influence the probability and the extent of damage in the case of a traffic accident, the official requirements for driving aptitude distinguish between private (group 1) and professional drivers (group 2). The official recommendations for assessing fitness to drive in the case of cardiac arrhythmias, device therapy, coronary heart disease, cardiac insufficiency, valve diseases and syncope are presented.

CONCLUSION

Driving fitness plays an important role in the cardiological patient collective and should be determined in accordance with the official recommendations. For everyday clinical practice, the DGK recommendations for fitness to drive are presented in a clearer and more practice-relevant manner.

Distractions by work-related activities: The impact of ride-hailing app and radio system on male taxi drivers

Use of ride-hailing mobile apps has surged and reshaped the taxi industry. These apps allow real-time taxi-customer matching of taxi dispatch system. However, there are also increasing concerns for driver distractions as a result of these ride-hailing systems. This study aims to investigate the effects of distractions by different ride-hailing systems on the driving performance of taxi drivers using the driving simulator experiment. In this investigation, fifty-one male taxi drivers were recruited. During the experiment, the road environment (urban street versus motorway), driving task (free-flow driving versus car-following), and distraction type (no distraction, auditory distraction by radio system, and visual-manual distraction by mobile app) were varied. Repeated measures ANOVA and random parameter generalized linear models were adopted to evaluate the distracted driving performance accounting for correlations among different observations of a same driver. Results indicate that distraction by mobile app impairs driving performance to a larger extent than traditional radio systems, in terms of the lateral control in the free-flow motorway condition and the speed control in the free-flow urban condition. In addition, for car-following task on urban street, compensatory behaviour (speed reduction) is more prevalent when distracted by mobile app while driving, compared to that of radio system. Additionally, no significant difference in subjective workload between distractions by mobile app and radio system were found. Several driver characteristics such as experience, driving records, and perception variables also influence driving performances. The findings are expected to facilitate the development of safer ride-hailing systems, as well as driver training and road safety policy.

Metabolic syndrome and its determinants among professional drivers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Drivers are one of the trade unions that are most exposed to various health-related risks, especially metabolic diseases. The present study aimed to systematically assess the overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its determinants among drivers in the world.

Methods

All retrospective, cross-sectional, or prospective studies evaluating the prevalence and risk for metabolic syndrome and its main components among male professional drivers were eligible for the initial assessment. PRISMA guideline was used. Two blinded reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of the manuscripts followed by a deep assessment of the full texts for determining the inclusion appropriateness.

Results

In the final, 12 articles were eligible for the final analysis. Overall, 19,350 professional male drivers with a total average age of 43.06 years (ranged from 35.5 to 51.1 years) were included in the study. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was estimated to be 32.8% (95%CI: 32.1% to 33.5%), and the major determinants of appearing this syndrome among professional drivers were advanced age, years of driving experience, higher body mass index, smoking, high cholesterol dietary regimen, high Framingham risk score, low regular exercising, history of diabetes mellitus, history of gout, and shift work pattern.

Conclusion

According to the 32.8% prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome among drivers, managerial measures are needed to prevent and control metabolic disturbances among professional drivers are recommended.

A mixed methods approach

Truck platoon driving is a current branch of automated driving, which has the potential to radically change the work routine of professional drivers. In a platoon system, one truck (semi-)automatically follows a lead truck with a reduced distance, which produces significant savings in fuel and enables better traffic flow. In a current application of truck platoon driving, the following vehicle operates at level-2 automation. Thus, the driver of the following truck merely has to supervise the semi-automated system, which takes over steering and speed control when engaged. Level-2 truck platoon driving had not been tested with professional drivers in real traffic before. We hypothesized that user acceptance would improve after the experience of platoon driving. Quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 drivers before and after an extensive Autobahn experience. The results show a clear increase of acceptance after the experience. Platoon driving was evaluated to be more useful, easier to use, and safer after the experience. Besides perceived driving safety, the prestige of truck platooning, the perceived usefulness of the system, and general technology affinity co-determined user acceptance.