Prevalence and Association of Daytime Sleepiness among Commercial Vehicle Drivers in Southwestern Ethiopia: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Sleepiness, the most frequent sub-type of sleep disorders, is an excessive daytime sleepiness which commonly affects commercial drivers than the general population. It contributes to the high prevalence of Road Traffic due to its impact related to psychological stress, decreased productivity and increased risk of accidents both in & out of Ethiopia. Therefore, the current study was designed to elucidate the level of daytime sleepiness and its attributes to contribute to the prevention actions of country’s strategy. Objective: To describe the prevalence and associated factors of daytime sleepiness among commercial vehicle drivers in EthiopiaMethods: Data were collected from 398 randomly selected participants using a validated and pretested questionnaire to assess socio-demographic characteristics and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), which assesses daytime sleepiness prevalence. All data were entered into EpiData and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 software whereby measurements of central tendencies and logistic regressions were used to report the results.Results: Overall, 398 public drivers were enrolled into the study making 99% response rate with the mean age of 32.1 years (SD ± 9.1) and 20-29 year modal class. The driving years of the majority (47%) were reported in 0-4 year class. The prevalence of the daytime sleepiness was 21.7% among the study subjects. In final model of logistic regression drivers’ work experience (AOR=13.96, CI=1.18, 11.1, p=0.04), substance users like Tobacco (AOR=2.9, CI=1.1, 7.6, p=0.03) & Alcohol (AOR=6.12, 95% CI=2.32, 6.12, P=0.00), and drivers’ monthly income (AOR=2.49, 95%CI=1.02, 6.06, P=0.04) were demonstrated an association with day time sleepiness.Conclusions: The prevalence of day time sleepiness was relatively high in the studied population group, and factors linked to the problem are driving experiences, substance use and middle level of monthly income. Therefore, we recommend further studies on impacts of day time sleepiness and strategic action on the reduction of the relation.