On-Site Evaluation of Smoking, Alcohol consumption and Physical Inactivity Among Commercial Taxi Drivers in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

Adedokun, Aanuoluwa Odunayo; Goon, Daniel Ter; Owolabi, Eyitayo Omolara; Adeniyi, Oladele Vincent; Ajayi, Anthony Idowu

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v11n2p110

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 14 publications

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“…Also, difficult working conditions for drivers can cause physical and mental problems such as cardiovascular diseases, muscle aches, stress, and sleep disorders [6]. Other problems that threaten the driver's health are smoking and use of alcohol, which are commonly used by the drivers to prevent drowsiness [21,22]. All of these problems have led to higher mortality rates because of work for taxi drivers (14.9%) versus other occupations (3.3%) [23].…”

Section: Taxi Driver Unsafe Behavior and Workplace Safety Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Safety Issues for Taxi Transport Management

Aghabayk

Rejali

Samerei

et al. 2021

Journal of Advanced Transportation

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Taxi drivers face many problems every day including safety issues. The tendency to quickly transport passengers to their destinations for more income has resulted in dangerous driving behaviors leading to traffic violations. So, taxi drivers need appropriate support and training programs to improve safety and reduce the risk of crashes. Implementing different support and safety training programs requires an effective management system. There is a dearth of research on the safety issues of taxis from the perspective of taxi organization managers. This study aims to evaluate the safety issues of taxi transport management through a case study of the Tehran Taxi Organization. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 22 regional managers and 20 transportation specialists of the Tehran Taxi Organization. Issues related to taxi drivers, roads and road users, vehicles, and management systems were evaluated in the questionnaire. Participants determined the relevance level and priority ranking of each question. The level of agreement was then tested using the Kendall concordance test. According to the results, the use of GPS was selected as the best in-vehicle monitoring system that can be used to evaluate drivers in the fleet. Participants believed that passengers’ loading and unloading had the most risk for taxi users. The start-inhibit technology to detect open doors was unanimously evaluated as an efficient technology for taxi safety. With respect to educating taxi users, starting education in schools had the most relevance and priority. Recommendations for increasing the safety of taxis include the use of GPS in taxis to monitor and evaluate drivers, receiving crash reports from police and submitting monthly safety assessment reports, flexibility in drivers’ working hours’ schedule, providing training on drivers fatigue management, and evaluating drivers’ health.

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Section: Taxi Driver Unsafe Behavior and Workplace Safety Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Safety Issues for Taxi Transport Management

Aghabayk

Rejali

Samerei

et al. 2021

Journal of Advanced Transportation

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Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and the risk of metabolic syndrome in taxi drivers: A focus on street food

Sekgala

Opperman²,

Mpahleni³

et al. 2023

Front. Nutr.

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BackgroundIn South Africa, similar to other populous countries, the taxi industry is an important form of transportation that contributes to the country's development. As a result, minibus taxi driving is an occupation characterized by strenuous activities such as long hours of driving, limited rest, and challenges related to securing passengers, among several others. Consequently, to combat stress, some commercial drivers resort to smoking, overeating unhealthy food sold at transportation interchange areas (i.e., taxi ranks), and participating in sedentary behaviors. Most of these activities are risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS).AimTherefore, this study aimed to investigate the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors that predispose South African taxi drivers who work in the Cape Town Metropole area to the risk of developing MetS.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used a convenient sampling method that included 185 male minibus taxi drivers aged 20 years or above. The participants were interviewed using a validated questionnaire to gather information regarding their sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle practices. They also underwent physical and metabolic assessments, and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria were used to diagnose people with MetS.ResultsOverall, the mean age and driving experience of the taxi drivers were 40.0 years (SD: 10.7) and 9.1 years (SD: 7.4), respectively, with those with MetS being significantly older and having more driving experience than those without. Older participants were 3 and 2.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with MetS than the younger participants. Most taxi drivers (70%) met the IDF diagnostic criteria for MetS. Smokers, those who spent more than 100 ZAR (USD 5.9) and those who spent less than 1.4 MET-minutes per week on physical activity were 1.96, 2.0, and 13.6 times more likely to suffer from MetS that those who were nonsmokers, those who spent less than 100 ZAR and those who spent <1.4 MET-minutes per week on physical activity. Consumption of alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), as well as takeaway and fried foods, snacks, and sold by the SF vendors, increased the likelihood of developing MetS, abnormal HDL-C, TG, and hypertension, while avoiding takeaway and fried foods decreased this likelihood. Taxi drivers who also avoided consuming fresh fruits had abnormal HDL-C.ConclusionThese findings have significant public health implications, highlighting the need for South African policymakers to adopt a system-level approach to promote lifestyle changes among taxi drivers within the taxi industry. This can help reduce the health risks faced by these drivers and improve their overall health profile.

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Occupational Stress and Its Effect on Health Status Among Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus Drivers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Rajan,

TS,

Chandrappa

2024

Cureus

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Background: Occupational stress is a critical health concern across various professions, often linked to adverse health outcomes and increased risk-taking behaviors. Bus drivers are especially vulnerable due to prolonged shifts, exposure to environmental pollutants, and higher rates of sickness absenteeism. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of occupational stress among Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus drivers and the factors contributed. In addition, it explores the relationship between job-related stress and overall health status, providing insights into the occupational challenges faced by this workforce. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over two years from June 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, at the KSRTC depot in Kolar, serving urban and rural areas. A representative sample of 235 bus drivers was selected from a total of 654 using simple random sampling. Socio-demographic details, including age, gender, education, religion, family type, and per capita income, were collected using a pre-tested semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Stress levels were assessed using the American Institute of Stress (AIS) questionnaire, a widely used tool for evaluating various stress dimensions. Data were collected through interviews, entered into Excel, and subsequently analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22 (Released 2013; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results: The study revealed that 65% of KSRTC bus drivers experienced moderate to severe stress. Significant factors associated with occupational stress included urban residency, divorce, chronic alcohol consumption, current tobacco chewing, hypertension, higher BMI, long working hours, and high waist-hip ratio. Binary logistic regression showed urban residents had higher stress odds than rural residents (OR=1.27, p=0.03). Divorced individuals and chronic alcoholics also had higher odds of stress (OR=1.24, p=0.05 and OR=1.33, p=0.04, respectively). Stress was significantly associated with hypertension (OR=1.40, p=0.01), obesity (OR=1.30, p=0.03), morbid obesity (OR=1.47, p=0.01), high-risk waist-hip ratios (OR=1.42, p=0.01), and longer working hours (>12 hours, OR=1.30, p=0.03). Health assessments revealed a high prevalence of hypertension (39%) and obesity (65%). Conclusion: The study highlights a high prevalence of occupational stress among KSRTC bus drivers in Kolar, with 65% experiencing moderate to severe stress. Factors such as urban residency, lifestyle habits, and physiological parameters significantly contribute to stress. These findings underscore the need for targeted health promotion programs and policy changes to enhance the health of essential workers and improve road safety.

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On-Site Evaluation of Smoking, Alcohol consumption and Physical Inactivity Among Commercial Taxi Drivers in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

Cited by 3 publications

References 14 publications

Evaluating Safety Issues for Taxi Transport Management

Evaluating Safety Issues for Taxi Transport Management

Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and the risk of metabolic syndrome in taxi drivers: A focus on street food

Occupational Stress and Its Effect on Health Status Among Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus Drivers: A Cross-Sectional Study

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