Palandri Lucia, Righi Elena, Melloni Patrizia, Gobba Fabriziomaria, Ricci Federico, Modenese Alberto
Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Front Public Health. 2025 Jul 17;13:1658465. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1658465. eCollection 2025.
Sleep difficulties among professional drivers are a major concern for health and safety as they can be associated with increased tiredness while driving and can be related to an increased risk of accidents. Several lifestyle-related risk factors can have an important impact on sleep. This study aims to investigate whether a history of work accidents or near misses is associated with abnormal sleepiness among a sample of Italian professional drivers, considering individual and occupational factors that may influence this relationship.
From 2018 to 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional study recruiting professional drivers attending mandatory health and safety training courses in accordance with Italian legislation. Participants completed a six-section questionnaire including personal information, sleep-related difficulties, occupational data, habits, history of accidents and near misses, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). We used multiple logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for abnormal sleepiness.
The sample comprised 884 workers, predominantly male (99%), with mean age 49.4 years. Our study showed associations between several risk factors and excessive sleepiness. Consuming alcohol showed an increased probability of higher ESS scores. Similarly, snoring and having a history of occupational accidents or near misses showed increased probability of abnormal sleepiness.
This study suggests a potential association between a history of near misses and abnormal sleepiness among professional drivers. The observed relationship underscores the need to address underlying sleep disorders, such as undiagnosed sleep apnea, which may contribute to excessive sleepiness and compromised safety. Drivers with a history of work accidents or near misses should be considered for screening programs targeting abnormal sleepiness, as these events may serve as early warning signs. Educational interventions to raise awareness and promote better sleep hygiene among this at-risk group could play a crucial role in improving both occupational health and road safety. Despite limitations inherent to self-reported data, our findings offer valuable insights for targeted prevention strategies.
职业司机的睡眠困难是健康与安全的一大主要问题，因为这可能与驾驶时疲劳加剧有关，且可能与事故风险增加相关。一些与生活方式相关的风险因素会对睡眠产生重要影响。本研究旨在调查在考虑可能影响这种关系的个人和职业因素的情况下，工作事故或险些发生事故的历史是否与意大利职业司机样本中的异常嗜睡有关。
2018年至2022年，我们开展了一项横断面研究，招募参加符合意大利法律规定的强制性健康与安全培训课程的职业司机。参与者完成了一份包含六个部分的问卷，内容包括个人信息、与睡眠相关的困难、职业数据、习惯、事故和险些发生事故的历史，以及爱泼华嗜睡量表（ESS）。我们使用多元逻辑回归模型来计算异常嗜睡的比值比（OR）和95%置信区间（CI）。
样本包括884名工人，主要为男性（99%），平均年龄49.4岁。我们的研究显示了几个风险因素与过度嗜睡之间的关联。饮酒显示ESS得分较高概率增加。同样，打鼾以及有职业事故或险些发生事故的历史显示异常嗜睡概率增加。
本研究表明职业司机险些发生事故的历史与异常嗜睡之间可能存在关联。观察到的这种关系强调了应对潜在睡眠障碍（如未确诊的睡眠呼吸暂停）的必要性，这可能导致过度嗜睡和安全受损。有工作事故或险些发生事故历史的司机应被纳入针对异常嗜睡的筛查项目，因为这些事件可能是早期预警信号。在这个高危群体中开展提高认识和促进更好睡眠卫生的教育干预措施，对于改善职业健康和道路安全可能发挥关键作用。尽管自我报告数据存在固有局限性，但我们的研究结果为有针对性的预防策略提供了宝贵见解。
