Driving Wellness: A Feasibility Trial of a Multi-Level Health Behavior Intervention for Truck Drivers

About This Grant

Individuals in certain occupations experience a disproportionately high burden of health disparities. For instance, an overwhelming majority (83%-93%) of heavy-truck drivers are affected by overweight or obesity. Since overweight and obesity are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the U.S., it is not surprising that truck drivers experience higher CVD incidence and mortality than the general population and individuals in other occupations. Although modifiable health behaviors, such as physical activity and healthy eating, are essential for reducing weight and maintaining a healthy weight, truck drivers’ health behaviors are poor. Their physical activity levels fall far below the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans on both workdays and non-workdays. Truck drivers’ dietary habits are also concerning, characterized by high consumption of sugary drinks and snacks, frequent intake of fast food and red meat, and minimal consumption of fruits and vegetables. Despite these poor health behaviors, truck drivers have received remarkably little attention in health behavior intervention research. To date, only a few interventions have been developed to improve drivers’ health behaviors or support weight management. Furthermore, effects of the existing interventions on behavioral change or weight reduction have been weak. This limited success of the existing interventions is largely due to their focus on individual-level changes, not addressing the work environments that severely limit opportunities to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Although trucking companies have significant potential and willingness to improve drivers’ health, intervention studies promoting health behaviors in collaboration with trucking companies are currently lacking. To address these critical gaps, the proposed proof-of-concept study aims to conduct a health behavior intervention study for truck drivers in collaboration with a trucking company, evaluating its feasibility and preliminary signals of efficacy. This multi-level intervention will target both individual (truck driver) and organizational (trucking company) environments. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, adherence, acceptability, and fidelity. Preliminary efficacy outcomes include physical activity, diet quality, weight, waist circumference, and organizational health climate and safety. This research is significant, novel, and potentially high-impact, as it represents one of the few interventions designed for a high-risk occupational group that has been largely overlooked by directly engaging a trucking company in the process. Findings from this early-phase study will provide essential data to inform the design and implementation of a subsequent large-scale efficacy trial aimed at improving the health and well-being of truck drivers and, ultimately, the health of the public.