Excessive Sleepiness Prevalence in Public Transportation Drivers of a Developing Country

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of excessive sleepiness (ES) in bus and auto-rickshaw drivers from Lima, Peru.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of Lima's bus and auto-rickshaw drivers to estimate ES prevalence in this population. Survey sites were private transportation companies, systematically selected with a snowball approach. ES was assessed with the Spanish-validated version of the Epworth sleep questionnaire (ESQ) with a cutoff score >10. We obtained relevant demographic information.

Results: Four hundred and thirty-four bus and auto-rickshaw drivers were eligible for analysis. The overall ES prevalence was 32.7 percent (95% confidence interval [CI]: 28–37.2). ES prevalence was higher in bus drivers than in auto-rickshaw drivers, 38 percent (95% CI: 31.7–44.2) and 26.9 percent (95% CI: 20.6–33.1), respectively (P = .01). We used data from all subjects to obtain regression equations for ESQ score with several predictors. Being a bus driver, working additional nighttime hours per week, having depression or anxiety, and alcohol abuse had small but significant associations with ESQ scores.

Conclusion: ES prevalence in Lima's public transportation drivers is in a medium range as suggested by previous regional studies.

Keywords:

• prevalence
• disorders of excessive somnolence
• motor vehicles
• traffic crashes
• South America
• Peru

Acknowledgment

Financial support was provided by the Peruvian Transportation and Communication Ministry.