Occupational Health Risk Factors for Long-distance Bus Drivers

• Main Authors: CHI-WEN CHEN, 陳啟文
• Other Authors: YAW-HUEI HWANG
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/46869838430577419018

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 職業醫學與工業衛生研究所 === 91 === A cross-sectional study was conducted with aim to explore the health condition and occupational hazards of the long-distance bus drivers. All the subjects were interviewed individually by trained interviewers with a structured questionnaire, which included 5 domains of basic demographic data, working conditions, subjective perception of job content, health status and health behavior. The information about the effect of physical work loading, psychosocial stress and personal health behavior on occupational health was collected. Totally 153 valid questionnaires from two bus transport companies, labeled A and B in the study, were collected. The mean age of the interviewed driver was 41.7 years with mean working year of 7.7 years. In average, they drove for 58.9 hours per week. The prevalence rate of self-report musculoskeletal disorders reached 86.3%. Among the muscular discomfort body symptoms, the body parts with the highest prevalence were neck (62.8%), low back (51.0%), left shoulder (36.6%) and right shoulder (33.3%). The prevalence rates of discomfort in other body system were eye & vision (58.2%), respiratory system (52.3%). Current smokers, alcohol users and betel- nuts-consumers respectively accounted for 64.7%, 6.8% and 20.9% of the study subjects. Drivers drinking tea, coffee and refreshing drink accounted for 78.5%, 70.6% and 39.9%, respectively, of the study subjects. Only 26.1% of the subjects had regular exercise habit. In contrast to company A, the drivers from company B were younger but had higher physical working load and psychosocial stress. They also had lower scores in job control, skill discretion, decision authority and supervisor support in Job Content Questionnaire. Also, drivers from company B had lower job satisfaction. Results from multi-logistic regression model showed that the sleeping quality was associated with one of the major factors for discomfort in various body systems. The poor was the sleep quality then the worse was the discomfort symptoms. The muscular discomfort associated with urination suppression might be caused by the relatively longer driving period. According to the regression model, personal characteristics, physical working load, psychosocial stress and personal health behavior were the most possible factors to be included in the model to explain some body system discomforts. Besides, this study also found that the older driver had better subjective health status, a phenomenon of so-called health worker effect.