Taking Goal Zero Outside the Fence: Lifestyle and Health Influences onTanker and Commercial Drivers'Performance and Road Safety

摘要

Background: Drivers are key contributors to economic development.Poor health and behavior poses achallenge to their work performance and safety of even road users.Shell Companies in Nigeria(SCiN),has demonstrated the impact of Human Performance and care agenda on Driver engagement,behaviour,performance and road safety.An'outside the fence'approach is therefore critical towards reaching a largerpool and achieving drivers'health and public safety Aim: To determine and intervene on the risk factors from lifestyle,affecting the health of tanker andcommercial drivers as a social investment strategy to improve drivers'health and foster'goal zeroculture'(no incidents,no fatalities).Method: A baseline survey among 731 randomly selected consenting commercial and tanker driversfrom three motor parks in Rivers(Mile 3 & Eleme),and Lagos(Ojota)states using close endedInterviewer-administered questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions.Health Screening(for BloodAlcohol Concentration {BAC},visual acuity,blood pressure,random blood sugar,cholesterol and BodyMass Index).Interventions included Health education,medical consultations,treatment of minor ailments,eye care including glasses.Data was analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics.Results: Findings showed that 36.9% had raised blood pressure with only 11.5% being knownhypertensives; 19.5% of the drivers had trace to significantly raised BAC; 66% of respondents had neverhad an eye test.Also,40.7% had visual impairment(with 4% glaucoma-related); 35.5% had elevated bloodcholesterol; 18% obese,while 3.6% had elevated blood sugar.Conclusion: The lifestyles of these drivers were risk factors for the observed non communicable diseasesamong them which could potentially interfere with their work performance and invariably,Goal Zero.Health education on,lifestyle modification,continuous monitoring and policy changes to driver monitoringare recommended.