Preventive Health Check-Up: A Welfare Initiative for the Truck drivers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/6dcmgs62Keywords:
Truck Drivers, Non-Communicable diseases, Portable biochemistry analyzer, Health ScreeningAbstract
Background: Truck driving is a physically and psychologically taxing job that puts drivers at risk for a number of illnesses, most notably non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Conditions including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular illnesses are exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle, long work hours, and unpredictable sleep habits. By holding a preventative health check-up camp in Changsari, Assam, this study sought to evaluate the health status of truck drivers.
Methods: The health screening, which involved 325 truck drivers, involved blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and clinical biochemical analysis utilizing "Mobilab," a portable, battery-powered, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled biochemistry analyzer. Key health markers pertaining to anemia, kidney, liver, and cardiovascular health were assessed throughout the examinations.
Conclusion: This study revealed, 35% of individuals were at risk for kidney disease and 50.5% had an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Among all the drivers participated in the study, 39% were found to be anemic, and 18% had liver abnormalities. Furthermore, 21% of the subjects were overweight, and 8% had diabetes. According to BMI categorization, 12% were underweight and 3% were obese. These results show that truck drivers bear a heavy burden of lifestyle-related health concerns.
This occupational group urgently needs proactive healthcare treatments due to the significant prevalence of NCD risk factors. Preventive measures, such as regular check-ups with the doctor, lifestyle changes, and health education programs, should be the main focus of a comprehensive health strategy. These hazards can be reduced by promoting healthy eating, frequent exercise, and access to recurring medical examinations. Enhancing the general health and wellbeing of truck drivers may be possible through the implementation of workplace wellness initiatives and the provision of auxiliary tools like ergonomic seating and appropriate rest periods.
References
Singh R, Sharma P, Gupta V. Occupational health risks among truck drivers: A review. J Occup Health. 2020;62(1):e12129.
Yosef T. The impact of sedentary lifestyle on truck drivers' health: A systematic review. Transp Health J. 2020;18:100891.
Apostolopoulos Y, Sonmez S, Shattell MM, Haldeman L, Strack R, Jones V. Barriers to truck drivers’ healthy eating: Environmental influences and health promotion strategies. J Workplace Behav Health. 2016;31(1):28-44.
Hirata RP, Sampaio LM, Leitão Filho FS, Giacomelli DC, Goulart CDL, Okoshi MP, et al. General characteristics and risk factors of cardiovascular disease among interstate bus drivers. Sci World J. 2012;2012:216702.
Sharma A, Patel R, Kumar S. Prevalence of cardiovascular diseases among truck drivers: A cross-sectional study. Int J Public Health Res. 2022;11(4):215-223.
Rosso GL, Montomoli C, Candura SM. Poor health status and high prevalence of risk factors among truck drivers. Occup Med (Lond). 2012;62(7):505-511.
Ng MK, Yousuf B, Bigelow PL, Van Eerd D. Effectiveness of health promotion programs for truck drivers: A systematic review. Health Educ J. 2015;74(3):270-86.
Sieber WK, Robinson CF, Birdsey J, Chen GX, Hitchcock EM, Lincoln JE, et al. Obesity and other risk factors: The National Survey of US Long-Haul Truck Driver Health and Injury. Am J Ind Med. 2014;57(6):615-26.
Gupta P, Mehta A, Sharma R. Metabolic disorders and lifestyle risks in truck drivers. J Clin Med Res. 2019;10(3):178-185.
Olson R, Wipfli B, Thompson SV, Elliot DL, Anger WK, Gray M, et al. Weight control intervention for truck drivers: The SHIFT randomized controlled trial, United States. Am J Public Health. 2020;110(11):1694-1701.
Mehta R, Singh P, Verma A. Delayed diagnosis of chronic diseases among transport workers: A retrospective analysis. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2019;9(2):120-126.
Solomon AJ, Doucette JT, Garland E, McGinn T. Healthcare and health conditions of long-haul truck drivers: A qualitative study. J Occup Environ Med. 2021;63(4):e208-15.
Kumar N, Sharma M, Mishra D. Early intervention strategies for non-communicable diseases in truck drivers: A systematic review. Prev Med Rep. 2021;23:101476.
Thiese MS, Hanowski RJ, Moffitt G, Kales SN, Porter RJ, Hegmann KT. A retrospective analysis of cardiovascular disease risk factors in a large cohort of commercial truck drivers. J Occup Environ Med. 2015;57(5):626-31.
Birdsey J, Sieber WK, Chen GX, Hitchcock EM, Lincoln JE, Nakata A, et al. National Survey of US Long-Haul Truck Driver Health and Injury: Health Behaviors. J Occup Environ Med. 2016;58(8):791-8.
Abed H, Sabouni R, Ghommem M. MOF-based spectrophotometric sensors for cholesterol detection: current trends and challenges. RSC Adv. 2024;14(53):39472-39497.
Henkel E, Stoltz M. A newly drafted colour test for the determination of triglycerides convenient for manual and mechanized analysis (glycerolphosphate-oxidase — PAP method). Z Anal Chem. 1982;311:451-452.
Sanders GTB, Pasman AJ, Hoek FJ. Determination of uric acid with uricase and peroxidase. Clin Chim Acta. 1980;101(2-3):299-303.
Rascón-Careaga A, Corella-Madueño MAG, Pérez-Martínez CJ, et al. Validation and estimation of uncertainty for a glucose determination method GOD-PAP using a multi-calibrator as reference. MAPAN. 2021;36:269-278.
Clark KS, Hippel TG, Whitfield DB. Manual, semiautomated, and point-of-care testing in hematology. In: Keohane EM, Otto CN, Walenga JM, editors. Rodak's
Hematology. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2020:154-173.
Winsten S, Cehelyk B. A rapid micro diazo technique for measuring total bilirubin. Clin Chim Acta. 1969;25(3):441-446.
Crocker H, Shephard MD, White GH. Evaluation of an enzymatic method for determining creatinine in plasma. J Clin Pathol. 1988;41(5):576-581.
Matsushima K, Sugiuchi H, Anraku K, et al. Differences in reaction specificity toward lipoprotein X and abnormal LDL among 6 homogeneous assays for LDL-cholesterol. Clin Chim Acta. 2015;439:29-37.
Iwasaki T, Nakajima K, Hirowatari Y, Matsushita M. Evaluation of the two-point calibration bromocresol green method, showing reduced deviation from the bromocresol purple method in sera from patients with hypoalbuminemia. Ann Clin Biochem. 2023;60(5):320-327.
Gornall AG, Bardawill CJ, David MM. Determination of serum proteins by means of the biuret reaction. J Biol Chem. 1949;177(2):751-766.
Henry JB. Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 22nd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2011.
Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem. 1972;18(6):499-502.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ankit Chowdhury, Sahil Jagnani, Snigdha Saikia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.