Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31662399›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2019

Cross-sectional study of the health of southern African truck drivers.

Samanta Tresha Lalla-Edward, Alex Emilio Fischer, W D Francois Venter, Karine Scheuermaier, Ruchika Meel, Catherine Hankins, Gabriela Gomez, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch, Melvin Draaijer, Alinda G Vos

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
6.4field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

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  17. Impact of HIV on Cognitive Performance in Professional Drivers.Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Samanta Tresha Lalla-EdwardEzintsha, a sub-division of Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-3597-1643
Alex Emilio FischerEzintsha, a sub-division of Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa afischer@wrhi.ac.za.ORCID 0000-0002-6882-7245
W D Francois VenterEzintsha, a sub-division of Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Karine ScheuermaierWits Sleep Laboratory, Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ruchika MeelDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Catherine HankinsDepartment of Global Health and Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Gabriela GomezDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Kerstin Klipstein-GrobuschJulius Global Health, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Melvin DraaijerAmsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VU Medical Center, Department of Global Health, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Alinda G VosEzintsha, a sub-division of Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand · ZAAmsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development · NLAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NLLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesLifestyle and working conditions of truck drivers predisposes them to risk-factors associated with communicable and non-communicable diseases, but little is known about the health status of African truck driver. This study aims to assess a cross-section of truckers in South Africa to describe their health information.

settingThe study took place across three truck-stop rest areas in the South African provinces of Free State and Gauteng.

participantsEligibility criteria included being males aged 18 years and older, full-time employment as a long-distance truck driver. A total of 614 male truck drivers participated; 384 (63%) were Zimbabwean and 325 (55%) completed high-school. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The trucker survey explored demographics; working conditions; sexual, eating and sleeping behaviours; mental health status, medical history and cardiac risk-factors. Medical assessments included physical measurements, glucose and lipid measurements, ECG, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and cardiac ultrasound.

resultsIn the previous month, 554 (91%) participants were sexually active; 522 (86%) had sex with a regular partner; 174 (27%) with a casual partner; 87 (14%) with a sex worker. Average time driving was 10 hours/day, 20 days/month, 302 (50%) never worked night shifts and 74 (12%) worked nights approximately four times per week. 112 (18%) experienced daytime sleepiness and 59 (10%) were ever hospitalised from an accident. Forty-seven (8%, 95% CI 5.3 to 9.5) were HIV-positive, with half taking antiretrovirals. Forty-eight (8%) truckers had some moderate depression, while 21 (4%) suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Reported tuberculosis, myocardial infarction, and diabetes were <3%. Prominent cardiac risk-factors included smoking (n=63, 11%), consuming alcohol (>15 drinks/week) (n=54, 9%), overweight/obesity (n=417, 69%), and hypertension (n=220, 36%,95% CI 32.1 to 39.7). ECG results showed 23 (4.9%) and 29 (5.3%) drivers had left ventricular hypertrophy using the Cornell criterion and product, respectively. CIMT measurements indicated nine (4.2%) drivers had a carotid atherosclerotic plaque.

conclusionThis first holistic assessment of health among southern African male truck drivers demonstrates substantial addressable cardiovascular risk factors, mental health issues and sexual risk behaviours.

Indexed as

Automobile DrivingHealth StatusMotor VehiclesAdolescentAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesHealth SurveysHumansMaleMiddle AgedOccupational DiseasesRisk FactorsSouth AfricaYoung AdultcohortHIVNCDsSouth Africatruck driverZimbabwe

Identifiers

PMID31662399
PMCPMC6830589
OpenAlexW2981541448

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.