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Background: Metabolic syndrome involves a set of metabolic risk factors that directly increases the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Physical inactivity due to driving can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. It is also known that sleep disorders (sleep apnea) can result in MetS. Driving in Iran is considered a very popular but risky occupation, so paying attention to this profession is of special importance. Therefore, the researchers aimed to investigate the association between sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome in drivers in Shahroud city in 2018., Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 948 drivers from Shahroud city in 2018. After obtaining consent from participants, 3 questionnaires including demographic, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and STOP-BANG were completed. Clinical and anthropometric measurements were assessed, including blood pressure, waist circumference, hip circumference, weight, height, and body mass index. In addition, blood was drawn to measure High Density Lipoprotein, Low Density Lipoprotein, Triglyceride, cholesterol, and Fasting Blood Sugar levels. The relationship between metabolic syndrome and sleep disorders was then studied. In this study, statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 23 at a significance level of 0.05., Results: Mean age of drivers was 44.15 ± 11.66 (years). The mean waist circumference and mean hip circumference in subjects with a Class 1 Driver's License (a certificate for trucks and buses) were higher than those with a Class 2 Driver's License (a certificate for motorcars, minibuses, vans, etc. (seating< 20)) (P = 0.01 and P = 0.003, respectively). Moreover, the BMI in subjects with a Class 1 Driver's License was higher compared to subjects with a Class 2 Driver's License. The correlation between metabolic syndrome with sleep apnea based on STOP-BANG questionnaire was significant (p < 0.001) irrespective of definition (ATP and IDF)., Conclusions: According to the results of this study, there was a bi-directional association between sleep disorders and Mets, so this group should pass periodic medical examinations and training courses. Moreover, their families should be informed of prevention and treatment of this syndrome.

Objectives: Of all work stressors, occupational stress is the leading cause of many disorders among workers. Drivers are classified as a high risk group for work related stress. This study set out to determine the relationship between risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and occupational stress among drivers., Material and Methods: Two hundred and twenty two Ilam's intercity drivers were selected for the study. For measuring work stress, the Osipow work stress questionnaire was used. After a 10-h fasting period, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was recorded. Intravenous blood samples were taken to determine cholesterol, triglyceride and blood glucose levels. The independent samples t-test and Pearson's correlation test were used to assess the relationship between variables and occupational stress., Results: Seventy-one percent of the intercity drivers suffered from average to acute stress, and 3.1% of them suffered from acute stress. There was no significant relationship between occupational stress and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.254) among the drivers. Nevertheless, the Pearson's correlation test demonstrated a strong relationship between work stress and blood glucose (p < 0.01), while no strong correlation was found for blood triglycerides and cholesterol levels., Conclusions: Based on the results, high rates of occupational stress were observed in the Ilam's intercity drivers. Occupational stress may have effect on blood glucose levels but the results did not suggest a considerable relationship between risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and occupational stress among intercity drivers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):895-901., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the sleep quality and sleep disorders (prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and sleepiness) among occupational drivers in Iran and to determine which demographic factors and occupational habits are linked to road traffic accidents., Material and Methods: In this analytic cross-sectional study 556 occupational road drivers from Shahroud city (in the northeast of Iran) participated, upon a prior verbal informed consent, during 2013-2014. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) standard questionnaire that scored on 7 point scale, the 8-item Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaire and the 8-question STOP-Bang questionnaire along with demographic information and occupational data were used. To explore the independent factors associated with odds of poor sleep quality and road accident, multiple logistic regression models were used., Results: Prevalence of previous road accidents, sleepiness while driving, and obstructive sleep apnea scored ≥ 3 in the study, and drivers accounted for 23.8%, 29%, and 24.8%, respectively. The global mean score of sleep quality and excessive sleepiness score were 5.2 and 4.8, respectively. The main factors related to the odds of poor sleep quality were snoring (odds ratio (OR) = 2.34; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-4.77), smoking (OR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.15-3.97), and driving times in a day (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.03-1.21). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07-1.23) and suffering from apnea (OR = 4.89; 95% CI: 1.07-23.83) were the best predictors for odds (increased risk) of road accidents., Conclusions: A considerable proportion of Iranian drivers had records of road accidents; poor sleep quality, sleepiness while driving, and sleep disorder breathing (obstructive sleep apnea - OSA). Snoring, smoking, driving time in a day, excessive sleepiness, and presumably apnea increase the odds of poor sleep quality and road traffic accident for Iranian occupational drivers., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)