Occupational driving has often been associated with a high prevalence of pain in the neck, shoulder, wrist/hand, back and knee. The present study was undertaken to find out the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and associated risk factors among long-distance truck drivers from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 108 long-distance truck drivers. They were interviewed and examined as per a pre-designed, pre-tested semi-structured interview questionnaire. Results indicate that 78% of long-distance truck drivers had musculoskeletal disorder. The most common symptoms were low back pain (40%) followed by shoulder pain (26%), knee pain (24%), and neck pain (20%). Age, education, addiction, years of work experience, hours of driving were significantly associated with musculoskeletal morbidity (P<0.001). Long-distance truck drivers with continued driving exposure have a high prevalence of a musculoskeletal disorder.
Editorial commentary on: Malaria parasitaemia among long distance truck drivers in the Niger delta of Nigeria