Attenuated Cardiovascular Reactivity to Acute Psychological Stress Predicts Future Fatigue Symptoms in Truck Drivers.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the impact of a 6-month health intervention on truck drivers' cardiovascular reactivity to stress and whether cardiovascular reactivity was predictive of depression, anxiety, or fatigue symptoms at 6-month follow-up. METHODS: Two hundred thirty-eight truck drivers completed a 6-month cluster randomized controlled trial to increase physical activity and completed a stress protocol (Stroop and mirror-tracing tasks) with measurements of heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure taken, alongside fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms assessment. Measures were taken at 0 and 6 months. RESULTS: Analyses showed a negative relationship between 0-month diastolic blood pressure reactivity and 6-month persistent fatigue. Trends toward negative relationships between systolic blood pressure reactivity and future anxiety and fatigue symptoms at 6 months were evident. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may have serious implications, as fatigue can be a major cause of road traffic collisions in truck drivers.

The structured health intervention for truckers (SHIFT) cluster randomised controlled trial: a mixed methods process evaluation.

BACKGROUND: This paper presents the mixed methods process evaluation of the randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the Structured Health Intervention For Truckers (SHIFT), a multi-component intervention targeting physical activity and positive lifestyle behaviours in a cohort of 382 truck drivers in the UK. The SHIFT RCT found a significant difference in daily steps between intervention and control groups at 6-months in favour of the intervention participants. METHODS: SHIFT was evaluated within a cluster-RCT and involved 25 transport sites (12 intervention and 13 control sites). Intervention components included an education session, Fitbit, text messages, and cab workout equipment. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and 6-months follow-up. Semi-structured focus groups/interviews were conducted with drivers (n = 19) and managers (n = 18) from each site, after completion of the final follow-up health assessment (16-18 months post-randomisation). Questionnaires and interviews collected information on fidelity, dose, context, implementation, barriers, sustainability, and contamination. RESULTS: Questionnaire and interview data from intervention participants indicated favourable attitudes towards SHIFT, specifically towards the Fitbit with a high proportion of drivers reporting regularly using it (89.1%). 79.2% of intervention participants attended the education session, which was deemed useful for facilitating improvements in knowledge and behaviour change, dietary changes were predominantly recalled. Despite not being part of the intervention, participants reported that feedback from the health assessments motivated them to change aspects of their lifestyle (intervention = 91.1%, control = 67.5%). The cab workout equipment was used less and spoken unfavourably of in the interviews. The main barriers to a healthy lifestyle at work were reported as long hours and irregular shift patterns. The most suggested improvement for the intervention was more frequent contact with drivers. Managers were positive about the objectives of SHIFT, however almost all mentioned the challenges related to implementation, specifically in smaller sites. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, SHIFT was predominantly implemented as intended, with minimal discrepancies seen between the delivery and protocol. Having said this, transport sites each have distinct characteristics, which may require adaptations to individual settings to encourage participation. Managers and drivers reported enthusiasm and necessity for SHIFT to be included in future Certificate of Professional Competence training. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN10483894 (date registered: 01/03/2017).

The effectiveness of the Structured Health Intervention For Truckers (SHIFT): a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT).

BACKGROUND: Long distance heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers exhibit higher than nationally representative rates of obesity, and obesity-related co-morbidities, and are underserved in terms of health promotion initiatives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the multicomponent 'Structured Health Intervention For Truckers' (SHIFT), compared to usual care, at 6- and 16-18-month follow-up. METHODS: We conducted a two-arm cluster RCT in transport sites throughout the Midlands, UK. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline, at 6- and 16-18-month follow-up. Clusters were randomised (1:1) following baseline measurements to either the SHIFT arm or usual practice control arm. The 6-month SHIFT programme included a group-based interactive 6-h education and behaviour change session, health coach support and equipment provision (Fitbit® and resistance bands/balls to facilitate a 'cab workout'). The primary outcome was device-assessed physical activity (mean steps/day) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the following: device-assessed sitting, physical activity intensity and sleep; cardiometabolic health, diet, mental wellbeing and work-related psychosocial variables. Data were analysed using mixed-effect linear regression models using a complete-case population. RESULTS: Three hundred eighty-two HGV drivers (mean ± SD age: 48.4 ± 9.4 years, BMI: 30.4 ± 5.1 kg/m2, 99% male) were recruited across 25 clusters (sites) and randomised into either the SHIFT (12 clusters, n = 183) or control (13 clusters, n = 199) arms. At 6 months, 209 (55%) participants provided primary outcome data. Significant differences in mean daily steps were found between groups, in favour of the SHIFT arm (adjusted mean difference: 1008 steps/day, 95% CI: 145-1871, p = 0.022). Favourable differences were also seen in the SHIFT group, relative to the control group, in time spent sitting (- 24 mins/day, 95% CI: - 43 to - 6), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (6 mins/day, 95% CI: 0.3-11). Differences were not maintained at 16-18 months. No differences were observed between groups in the other secondary outcomes at either follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The SHIFT programme led to a potentially clinically meaningful difference in daily steps, between trial arms, at 6 months. Whilst the longer-term impact is unclear, the programme offers potential to be incorporated into driver training courses to promote activity in this at-risk, underserved and hard-to-reach essential occupational group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN10483894 (date registered: 01/03/2017).

Attenuated cardiovascular reactivity is related to higher anxiety and fatigue symptoms in truck drivers.

Depression and anxiety have been linked with reduced stress-induced cardiovascular reactivity (CVR), which could be indicative of autonomic dysregulation. Less is known about the association between work-related fatigue and CVR. Truck drivers experience high levels of depression, anxiety, and fatigue, with repeated psychophysiological stressors on the road, yet little is known about the effects of these conditions on their CVR. Three hundred eighty six truck drivers completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion/Recovery Scale (OFER-15). Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were measured at rest and during a stressor protocol to measure CVR. Multivariate regression analyses were used to determine relationships between variables and adjusted for nine key covariates. Higher symptoms of persistent fatigue were related to a reduced SBP reactivity (ß = -.236, p = .009) and reduced DBP reactivity (ß = -.257, p = .005), whereas there was a positive trend between acute fatigue and DBP reactivity (ß = .169, p = .052). Higher symptoms of anxiety were related to a reduced SBP reactivity (ß = -.164, p = .016). This study demonstrated in a population of truck drivers that both anxiety and persistent fatigue were related to an attenuated SBP reactivity in a combined model, whereas there was a positive trend between acute fatigue solely and DBP reactivity. These novel findings may have serious implications for cardiovascular disease risk in truck drivers, and future research should attempt to establish the causal effect of these associations and the underlying physiological mechanisms.

Cardiometabolic risk factors and mental health status among truck drivers: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to systematically review and summarise the literature on cardiometabolic risk factors, lifestyle health behaviours and mental health status of truck drivers globally to ascertain the scale of these health concerns. DESIGN: Systematic review reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched in January 2019 and updated in January 2020, from the date of inception to 16 January 2020. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Papers were included if they (1) reported independent data on truck drivers, (2) included quantitative data on outcomes related to cardiometabolic markers of health, mental health and/or health behaviours, (3) were written in English and (4) were published in a peer-reviewed journal. Grey literature was ineligible for this review. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: One reviewer independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality using a checklist based on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Quality Assessment tool. 20% were independently assessed for eligibility and quality by a second reviewer. Due to heterogeneity of the outcomes, results were narratively presented. RESULTS: 3601 titles and abstracts were screened. Seventy-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Truck driving is associated with enforced sedentarism, long and irregular working hours, lack of healthy foods, social isolation and chronic time pressures. Strong evidence was observed for truck drivers to generally exhibit poor cardiometabolic risk profiles including overweight and obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, high blood glucose, poor mental health and cigarette smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Improving truck driver health is vital for the longevity of the trucking industry, and for the safety of all road users. The workplace plays a vital role in truck driver health; policies, regulations and procedures are required to address this health crisis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019124499.