Background: Fatigued driving is one of the leading factors contributing to road crashes in the trucking industry. The nature of trucking, prolonged working time, and irregular sleep patterns can negatively impact drivers’ health and wellbeing. However, there is limited research in Australia investigating the impact of demographic, occupational, or lifestyle factors on fatigue among truck drivers. Objective: This cross-sectional study examines the role of demographic, occupational, lifestyle, and other health risk factors associated with fatigue among Australian truck drivers. Method: This study was part of a larger study that used a short online survey with a follow-up telephone survey to capture in-depth information on a wide range of determinants related to truck drivers’ physical and mental health outcomes. Fatigue was measured by three questions, including the frequency of fatigue, fatigue management training, and strategies used to combat fatigue. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the specific impact of demographics, occupational factors, lifestyle factors, and other health risk factors on fatigue. Results: In total, 332 drivers completed both the online and telephone surveys; 97% were male, representing drivers from broad age groups and professional experience. The odds of being in the high-risk fatigue group were nearly three times higher in drivers who worked 40–60 h compared to those who worked < 40 h. Poor sleep increased the odds of high-risk fatigue by seventimes (95% CI: 2.26–21.67, p = 0.001). Drivers who reported experiencing loneliness also had double the odds of being at high risk of fatigued driving. Conclusions: The increased risk of fatigue in truck drivers is associated with prolonged working hours, poor sleep, and social aspects such as loneliness. Further interventions seeking to reduce driver fatigue should consider the impact of work schedules, the availability of quality sleeping spaces, and the level of social connections.

It is unclear what constitutes Work Focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (W-CBT). This review sought to define W-CBT and ascertain its effectiveness at facilitating return to work (RTW) for people experiencing mental health conditions. A systematic review and narrative synthesis were undertaken. Five databases were searched (Medline, ProQuest, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science). English publications with an intervention combining CBT with RTW were selected. Quality checklists from the Joanna Briggs Institute were applied. Searching yielded 16,863 results. 23 moderate-to-high quality studies from 25 articles were included (13 experimentally designed studies, 3 pilots/case studies and 7 reviews). Results indicated W-CBT is effective at facilitating RTW for mild-to-moderate mental health conditions. For a program to be labelled W-CBT it is recommended it is (1) a stand-alone intervention; (2) delivered with an understanding RTW is the goal; and, (3) the CBT components are always framed by matters, subjects and contexts related to work.

This study aimed to identify patterns of opioid dispensing in Australian workers with low back pain (LBP) and determine the association of dispensing patterns with wage replacement duration. Australian workers' compensation claimants with LBP and at least 1 day of wage replacement were included. We used group-based trajectory modelling to identify opioid dispensing patterns over a two-and-a-half-year period from reported LBP onset and quantile regression to compare wage replacement duration between each dispensing pattern group. Opioids were dispensed to one-third of workers with LBP (N = 3205, 33.3%) at least once during their claim. Three dispensing patterns were identified. Most had a short-term low-volume opioid dispensing pattern (N = 2166, 67.6%), whereas 798 (24.9%) had a long-term moderate-volume pattern and 241 (7.5%) had a long-term high-volume pattern. Workers with dispensed opioids had significantly longer wage replacement duration than those without dispensed opioids (median [weeks]: 63.6 vs 7.1, respectively). In addition, moderate-volume and high-volume long-term dispensing groups had significantly longer wage replacement duration compared with the short-term dispensing group (median [weeks]: 126.9, 126.0, and 30.7, respectively). Without controlling for pain severity, these results offer limited evidence that opioids lead to longer wage replacement duration. Further research controlling for pain severity, psychosocial factors, and recovery expectations is required to confirm whether the relationship between opioid dispensing pattern and wage replacement duration is causal in nature.

Introduction: Truck driving is the most common vocation among males internationally with a high proportion overweight/obese due to a combination of work and lifestyle factors leading to health complications. With limited studies in this area, this systematic review aimed to identify and describe interventions addressing weight reduction in truck drivers.Methods: Five electronic databases were searched, January 2000 to June 2020 (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus). Inclusion criteria: experimental primary studies, long-distance (≥500 kms) truck drivers, peer reviewed publications in English. Weight loss interventions included physical activity, diet, behavioral therapy, or health promotion/education programs. Exclusions: non-interventional studies, medications or surgical interventions. Two independent researchers completed screening, risk of bias (RoB) and data extraction with discrepancies managed by a third. Study descriptors, intervention details and outcomes were extracted.Results: Seven studies (two RCTs, five non-RCTs,) from three countries were included. Six provided either counselling/coaching or motivational interviewing in combination with other components e.g. written resources, online training, provision of exercise equipment. Four studies demonstrated significant effects with a combined approach, however, three had small sample sizes (<29). The effect sizes for 5/7 studies were medium to large size (5/7 studies), indicating likely clinical significance. RoB assessment revealed some concerns (RCTs), and for non-RCTs; one moderate, two serious and two with critical concerns. Based on the small number of RCTs and the biases they contain, the overall level of evidence in this topic is weak.Conclusion: Interventions that include a combination of coaching and other resources may provide successful weight reduction for truck drivers and holds clinical significance in guiding the development of future interventions in this industry. However, additional trials across varied contexts with larger sample populations are needed.