Conference Proceeding

Commercial Driver Medical Exams: Relationships Between Body Mass Index and Comorbid Conditions

---

Abstract

There are an estimated 5.7 million Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers in the United States in 2012. Health and Safety of CMV drivers are of high consequence group because of: occupational risks from the size and speed of their vehicles, frequently poor health status, poor health care utilization, and the large impact of truck crashes on public health and safety. CMV drivers pass a commercial driver medical examination (CDME) to maintain licensure. CDME examiners document multiple potentially disqualifying health conditions. CMV drivers reportedly have poor health status, which may be attributed to lifestyle and occupational factors (e.g., improper diet, inadequate physical activity, poor sleep hygiene, shift work), yet few data are reported analyzing relative importance and relationships of these factors. Methods- CDMEs conducted between 2005 and 2012 among 88,246 commercial drivers were analyzed. Associations between measured Body Mass Index (BMI) categories and CDME findings, as well as driver certification were examined. Results- 53.3% of drivers were obese (BMI>30.0 kg/m2 ) with half of those being morbidly obese (BMI>35.0 kg/m2 ). After adjustment for age and gender, obese drivers were statistically significantly less likely to be certified for the full 2 year period and significantly more likely to report many factors including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, nervous disorders, sleep disorders, and chronic low back pain (all p<0.0001). ConclusionsBMI is related to many factors, some of which have been associated with increased crash risk. BMI screening may be a useful tool. Interventions for BMI reduction may have an impact on comorbidities.

How to Cite:

Thiese, M. & Moffitt, G. & Hanowski, R. & Kales, S. & Porter, R. & Hegmann, K., (2015) “Commercial Driver Medical Exams: Relationships Between Body Mass Index and Comorbid Conditions”, Driving Assessment Conference 8(2015), 261-267. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1581

Rights: Copyright © 2015 the author(s)