Review article: DINED (Delivery‐related INjuries in the Emergency Department) part 1: A scoping review of risk factors and injuries affecting food delivery riders

Abstract

This scoping review describes the current state of research about twowheeled delivery riders who have been injured while performing commercial food delivery. The key areas of interest are the patterns of injury, associated risk factors and current gaps in knowledge. Five databases were searched to identify key papers that describe injuries to two-wheeled food delivery riders. Papers were assessed for quality and eligibility and key information was extracted relating to patterns of injury and risk factors. From an initial 264 records from PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus and SafetyLit, studies were screened by title, abstract and full text to yield 12 key papers for analysis.No papers reporting on Australian data were identified. Men comprise over 85% of workers in the food delivery industry. The average age of injured riders varies by country, but is commonly under 30 years old. Most injuries are lower limb musculoskeletal injuries, although there are no consistent data about frequency, severity or cost to the healthcare system. Twentythree key risk factors were categorised according to rider characteristics, working conditions and environmental factors. The most common risk factors were younger age, lack of driving experience, time-pressured work and inadequate protective gear. There are very few publications describing food delivery rider injuries and risk factors. This is an emerging industry in which the worker population may be younger and more vulnerable. Given the different legal and cultural contexts across different countries, Australian-specific research is needed.

Risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among takeaway riders: Up-to-date evidence in Shanghai, China

“…Contrary to other reports whose subjects were mostly middle-aged adults ( 1 , 9 ), our respondents were mostly young adults aged 18–24 years who naturally are not in the peak age of degenerative diseases caused by cumulative micro damage ( 4 , 23 ). Thus, riders' personal characteristics, namely, their long-term personal lifestyle, play a more important role in the onset of MSDs ( 24 ). A South Korean survey also found that temporary workers were more likely to skip meals than permanent workers, especially in the case of lunch ( 25 ).…”

DINED (Delivery‐related INjuries in the Emergency Department) part 2: A chart review of risk factors and injuries affecting food delivery riders

“…There is very limited information and research in this relatively new area of trauma. There is a considerable gap in the reporting of these injuries, 7,8 which are of great public health interest. Delivery motorcyclists in the Seoul metropolitan area were reported to commit traffic offences such as crossing the centre line, improper weaving through traffic and operating the vehicle while distracted.…”

Kinematic Characterization of Risky Riding Behavior of On-Demand Food-Delivery Motorcyclists in Taiwan

“…The rising on-demand food-delivery (ODFD) sector in the gig economy has raised global concerns about public road safety because of the often aggressive and risky driving behavior among ODFD drivers, especially those on motorcycles ( 1 – 4 ). The gig economy is emerging across the globe, as a new economic system where digital platforms connect independent contractors with customers to perform task-based work ( 5 ), with platforms such as Uber and Deliveroo penetrating over 500 cities ( 6 ).…”

“…Further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ODFD sector in the gig economy is particularly prosperous, with its global economic value exceeding US$ 17 billion by 2018 and expected to double over the following five years ( 7 ), leading to a worldwide call to investigate the health effects of the gig economy and the occupational health of gig workers ( 8 , 9 ). Unlike other gig drivers in the transportation sector in the gig economy (e.g., Uber and Lyft drivers), ODFD drivers are directly exposed to road safety risks as they often use bicycles (in most western cities) or motorcycles (in most Asian cities) ( 3 ). Among these two modes of transportation, motorcycles have been increasingly employed by ODFD drivers to increase delivery efficiency and, therefore, income.…”

“…This has caused safety concerns where motorcycles are already popular, for example, Taiwan ( 10 ) and Greece ( 11 ), as well as where motorcycles were not originally popular, for example, Australia ( 12 ) and the U.K. ( 4 ). Despite these safety concerns, very few studies have examined the increased occupational road injury among ODFD drivers on motorcycles, revealing a considerable gap remaining unfilled in the literature ( 3 ).…”