Prevalence of chronic diseases among bus drivers in Hefei， Anhui

ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of working conditions on the occurrence and development of chronic diseases in bus drivers in Hefei.

MethodsA total of 380 bus drivers were selected by convenient sampling method. Their basic information， working intensity， working environment， working habits， living habits and physical health were investigated.

ResultsThe three most common occupational-related diseases were： 1） anxiety and depression caused by work environment such as noise and traffic jam （70.79%， 269/380）； 2） dry eyes， eye fatigue， blurred vision and so on （65.53%， 249/380）； 3） cervical and lumbar pain （63.16%， 240/380）. Gastrointestinal dysfunction （irritable bowel syndrome related symptoms） occurred in 42.37% （161/380） of the drivers and 45.53% （173/380） had suffered from hemorrhoids or anal fissure. Drivers with long-term suffocation were more likely to suffer from urinary tract infection （χ²=22.330， P<0.001）. The rate of subjective eye discomfort was higher in the drivers with long working hours （χ²=11.682， P<0.01）， and the rate of leg swelling was higher in the drivers with frequent driving without rest （χ²=16.642， P<0.05）. There was a significant difference in the rate of anxiety and depression between the divers with different sleep duration （χ²=17.379，P<0.001）. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the incidence of anxiety and depression was higher in drivers with longer working hours. In comparison with the group of over 6 working hours， the rate increased to 4.080 times in the group of over 8 working hours， 2.583 times in the group of over 10 working hours， and 2.484 times in the group of over 12 working hours， respectively. Occasional and frequent non-stop working drivers were 4.302 and 4.828 times， respectively， more likely to be anxious or depressed. Logistic regression analysis also showed that the incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction （irritable bowel syndrome related symptoms） in drivers with anxiety and depression was 3.792 times higher than that in drivers without anxiety and depression （OR=3.792， 95% CI 2.384 to 6.029， P<0.001）.

ConclusionSome working environment， excessive working intensity， poor living and working habits， and mental problems are closely related to the occurrence and development of chronic diseases in bus drivers.