Abstract:
Background: There has been a steady rise in the prevalence of disordered sleep in the developing world. This has far reaching consequences like elevated cardiovascular and cerebrovascular mortality. However, the associated day time hyper somnolence may have a more direct impact upon mission dedicated workers like pilots and occupational drivers (e.g. public transport and long distance drivers). The prevalence of disordered sleeping among bus drivers in Tanzania remains unknown and needs to be researched.
Aim: To assess the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and its associated factors among long distance bus drivers in Dar-es-salaam
Material and Methods:
This was a descriptive cross sectional study whereby 250 eligible study subjects were recruited consecutively using a simple random sampling. Study population includes all long bus drivers who were willing to participate in the study and were interviewed at Ubungo bus terminal in Dar es Salaam .The EPWORTH SLEEPINESS SCALE was be used to asses daytime sleepiness.
Results: Overall, 99% (249/250) of the drivers were male. A majority(44%) of the study participants were in the age range of 37-47 years. We also noted that 71% of study participants had primary level education and 77% were married. The prevalence of excessive day time sleepiness among long distance bus driver at Ubungo Bus Terminal was 46.8% (117/250), 43.2% (108/250) of the bus drivers had an average sleep, and 10% (25/250)of drivers had enough sleep. There was no statistical difference between those with and without excessive day time sleepiness in terms of age ranges, education level or marital status. There was no relationship between excessive day time sleepiness and clinical measurements namely pulse rate, blood pressure, blood sugar (all were in normal range). Neck circumferences however were found to be statistically significantly associated with excessive day time sleepiness. The use of psychoactive substances including cigarettes, khat, cannabis, and alcohol was not significantly different between drivers with EDS and those who were EDS-free. While participants had similar rates of minor accidents regardless of their EDS status, those with EDS had significantly higher rates of major accidents compared to their counterparts without EDS, p=0.04.
In conclusion: This study shows that the prevalence of daytime sleepiness is substantially high (46.8%) among the long distance bus drivers in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. Overall psychoactive substance use, especially cannabis and cigarettes, was rampant among long distance bus drivers, however it was stimulant (khat) and depressant(alcohol) use which was found to associate with excessive day time sleepiness. We also found that major accidents (injury to driver/passengers and substantial damage to the vehicle) correlated with EDS.
