RESUMO
The visual ability of road users is fundamental to traffic safety. Despite the high burden of traffic crashes and associated mortality in low-income countries such as Nigeria, evidence for an association between vision function and traffic safety outcomes is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the visual acuity of commercial motorcyclists operating within the main campus of Abia State University, Uturu. Two hundred operators who had been on the job for at least one year constituted the test population, while staff and students of Abia State University, Uturu, who were sex and aged-matched and who are not commercial motor cyclists constituted the control group. Data were obtained with the aid of a structured questionnaire and clinical examinations were carried out by standard procedures. Results showed that Snellen抯 fraction which is a indicator of visual acuity for the left eye of control and test groups was recorded as 0.98+- 0.30 and 0.88+- 0.35 respectively and for the right eyes 0.99+- 0.10 and 0.87+- 0.50 respectively. Only 38% of test group had normal visual acuity of 6/6 compared to 73% of control. Visual acuity correlated negatively with age for the left (r = - 0.712) and right (r = - 0.740) eyes as well as with length of service for left (r = -0.623 and right (r = - 0.632) eyes of motorcyclist operators. In conclusion, visual acuity was inversely proportional to age and length of service.
RESUMO
Aims: To determine and compare tactile acuity of commercial motorcyclists with that of their age and sex matched controls. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was done in Uturu, a suburban university town in South Eastern Nigeria, from July 2014 to August 2014. Methodology: We determined two point discrimination threshold distances on the right thumbs of two hundred (200) consenting commercial motorcyclists aged between 18 to 60 years and two hundred (200) of their age and sex matched controls. Results: The mean values of two point discrimination threshold distances were 6.03 mm (Standard Deviation = 2.484) and 4.31 mm (Standard Deviation = 2.046) in the test and control subjects respectively (t =7.558; p < .001). There was positive linear association between two point discrimination threshold distance and the age of the subjects, and their duration of operation as commercial motorcyclists (r = .752; p < .001 and r = .770; p < .001), respectively. Duration of service as a commercial motorcycle operator (p < .001), age (p = .004) and impaired sense of fine touch (p < .001) were independent predictors of deficits in tactile acuity. Conclusion: Tactile acuity was impaired in the assessed Nigerian commercial motorcycle operators compared with their controls. Measures of mitigating effects of the occupation on tactile acuity should be explored.