Factors associated with different levels of daytime sleepiness among Korean construction drivers: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Commercial vehicle accidents are the leading cause of occupational fatalities and an increased risk of traffic accidents is associated with excessive fatigue, other health problems as well as poor sleep during work. This study explores individual and occupational factors associated with different levels of daytime sleepiness and identifies their association with driving risk among occupational drivers working at construction sites. Methods This cross-sectional and correlational study adopted a self-reported questionnaire of Korean construction drivers (N = 492). The data were collected from October 2018 to February 2019 using a battery of six validated instruments about participants’ sociodemographic, health-related, and occupational characteristics. One-way ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression were conducted using IBM SPSS WIN/VER 25.0, with a two-tailed alpha of .05. Results Based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, “moderate” (31.7%) and “severe” (10.2%) daytime sleepiness groups were identified. There were significant differences in break time, driving fatigue, depressive symptom, subjective sleep quality, physical and mental health, and driving risk among the three groups (all p-values < .001). Driving fatigue (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 1.08, 1.17), depressive symptoms (aOR = 0.91, 0.98), subjective sleep quality (aOR = 1.18 in moderate only), and driving over the speed limit (aOR = 1.43, 2.25) were significant factors for determining “moderate” and “severe” daytime sleepiness groups, respectively. Conclusion A significant number of construction drivers experience excessive daytime sleepiness; thus it is important to reduce the negative impact of driving fatigue and other factors on daytime sleepiness. Our study findings suggest that occupational health care providers should pay attention to development and implementation of health management interventions to reduce driving fatigue that incorporate the drivers’ physical, mental, and occupational factors. Professional organizations need to establish internal regulations and public policies to promote health and safety among occupational drivers who specifically work at construction sites.

Impact of Job Characteristics on the Driver's Health and Safety: Integrative Literature Review

“…Other researchers corroborate that drivers have physical and emotional health problems, such as driving with fatigue, mood disorders (including depression), stress, sleep deprivation and body pain (Ahn et al, 2021). However, most studies are very focused on the individual characteristics of the worker and not on occupational and institutional factors, and current policies must emphasize that safety and health promotion at work must consider not only individual characteristics, but also the organizational support; so it would be interesting for different risk factors to be evaluated.…”

“…The work environment and work characteristics of professional drivers make them more vulnerable to specific health problems, leading many to take early retirement due to disabilities (Ahn et al, 2021). The study shows the effectiveness of relaxation techniques during breaks to improve the occupational performance of drivers' functions.…”

“…The same authors also reinforce the importance of occupational health professionals promoting interventions with drivers using specific strategies or evidence-based interventions. They also reiterate that constant monitoring and surveillance of drivers must also be carried out to reduce the physical and psychological burden (Ahn et al, 2021).…”

Effect of Different Maxillary Oral Appliance Designs on Respiratory Variables during Sleep

“…Its symptoms include snoring, frequent urination at night, daytime sleepiness, and headache upon awakening [ 5 , 6 ]. Daytime sleepiness has been reported to decrease work efficiency and cause traffic accidents and work-related injuries [ 7 ]. Further, OSA has been reported to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, and other systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and cerebrovascular diseases [ 8 ].…”

Using Pre-stimulus EEG to Predict Driver Reaction Time To Road Events

“…Mental fatigue and drowsiness are the main causes of road accidents worldwide [1], and are often the result of sleep deprivation and/or focusing on a task for a long period of time [2]. Similarly, slow reaction times to events on the road can be a direct consequence of driver drowsiness [3], and can lead to fatal road accidents.…”