Vofo Brice Nguedia, Ayuk Doris Ako, Pe'er Jacob, Chichom-Mefire Alain, Tendongfor Nicholas, Nche Eleanor Ngwe
Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel.
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
BMC Ophthalmol. 2021 Mar 23;21(1):148. doi: 10.1186/s12886-021-01909-3.
Driving is a visually intensive task. In Cameroon, where the burden of road traffic deaths is high, visual assessment is not universally performed before the issuance of driver licenses. This study aims to assess the visual status of commercial drivers (CDs) in the southwestern region of Cameroon, and to find its relation to road traffic crashes (RTCs).
This work was a cross-sectional community-based study on CDs in Limbe and Buea. Questionnaires were used to assess sociodemographic parameters, the incidence of RTCs, and self-reported visual status. Visual acuity (VA) was measured using a standard Snellen chart at 6 m. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive methods: frequencies, the paired Student's t-test, and the chi-square test.
Two hundred seven CDs were enrolled in this study, all of which were male, with a mean age of 41.8 ± 12.1 years. A total of 15.0% had undergone an eye exam prior to licensure, and 3.4% had undergone an eye exam within the past 10 years. The VA in the better-seeing eye of participants was less than 6/9 and 6/12 in 14.1 and 10.6% of CDs, respectively. Seventy-five percent of CDs with self-reported poor vision and 95% of CDs with VA < 0.5 had a history of RTCs compared to 55.8% of CDs with self-reported good vision and 55.7% of CDs with VA ≥ 0.5 (p < 0.05). Injuries from RTCs were more common in CDs with self-reported poor vision (81.1%) and in those with VA < 0.5 (90.5%) compared to CDs who self-reported good vision (55.8%) and those with VA ≥ 0.5 (55.7%) (p < 0.05).
A large proportion of CDs did not undergo a visual assessment before the issuance or renewal of their driver licenses. A substantial number of CDs had poor vision in their better-seeing eye and suffered from RTCs and related injuries, which suggests that the visual status of CDs in Cameroon is related to the gruesome number of road traffic crashes and deaths in the country. Therefore, concerned authorities should consider making vision tests a necessary requirement for the obtention of driver licenses.
驾驶是一项对视觉要求很高的任务。在道路交通死亡负担较重的喀麦隆，发放驾驶执照前并非普遍进行视力评估。本研究旨在评估喀麦隆西南部地区商业驾驶员（CDs）的视力状况，并找出其与道路交通事故（RTCs）的关系。
这项工作是一项基于社区的对林贝和布埃亚商业驾驶员的横断面研究。使用问卷评估社会人口统计学参数、道路交通事故发生率和自我报告的视力状况。在6米处使用标准斯内伦视力表测量视力（VA）。使用描述性方法进行统计分析：频率、配对t检验和卡方检验。
本研究共纳入207名商业驾驶员，均为男性，平均年龄41.8±12.1岁。共有15.0%的人在获得驾照前进行过眼部检查，3.4%的人在过去10年内进行过眼部检查。参与者较好眼的视力在14.1%和10.6%的商业驾驶员中分别低于6/9和6/12。自我报告视力差的商业驾驶员中有75%以及视力<0.5的商业驾驶员中有95%有道路交通事故史，相比之下，自我报告视力良好的商业驾驶员中有55.8%以及视力≥0.5的商业驾驶员中有55.7%有道路交通事故史（p<0.05）。与自我报告视力良好的商业驾驶员（55.8%）和视力≥0.5的商业驾驶员（55.7%）相比，自我报告视力差的商业驾驶员（81.1%）和视力<0.5的商业驾驶员（90.5%）道路交通事故受伤情况更常见（p<0.05）。
很大一部分商业驾驶员在发放或更新驾照前未进行视力评估。相当数量的商业驾驶员较好眼视力不佳，并遭受道路交通事故及相关伤害，这表明喀麦隆商业驾驶员的视力状况与该国令人毛骨悚然的道路交通事故和死亡数量有关。因此，有关当局应考虑将视力测试作为获得驾驶执照的必要要求。
