Daytime Sleepiness Among Young Adult Omani Car Drivers

Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2018, Vol 18, Issue 2

Abstract

Objectives: Sleepiness and fatigue play signifcant roles in exacerbating the occurrence of car crashes. However, there is a dearth of studies examining the prevalence of sleepiness while driving among Omanis. Tis study aimed to determine the proportion of young Omani adults who confess to daytime sleepiness while driving and to investigate associations between gender, daytime sleepiness and risk of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Methods: Tis cross-sectional study took place at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between May and July 2014 and included 600 young adult Omani non-commercial drivers. Te Berlin Questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were distributed among the participants, along with additional questions about their sleeping habits. Associations between daytime sleepiness while driving and nocturnal sleep duration, risk of OSAS and gender were determined. Results: A total of 492 private vehicle drivers took part in the study (response rate: 82%), of which 50.4% were male. Overall, 124 Omanis (25.2%) reported experiencing daytime sleepiness while driving at least once per month. Tere was a signifcant association between nocturnal sleep duration of <6 hours and sleepiness while driving (P = 0.042). Female participants were signifcantly more likely to score >10 on the ESS, indicating a greater propensity for daytime sleepiness (P = 0.006). However, male drivers were signifcantly more likely to report sleepiness while driving (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Sleepiness while driving was common among young male drivers in Oman and might be due to nocturnal sleep deprivation. Further studies are needed so that preventative measures can be developed.

Authors and Affiliations

Mohammed A. Al-Abri, Samir Al-Adawi, Ibrahim Al-Abri, Faisal Al-Abri, Atsu Dorvlo, Ronald Wesonga, Sanjay Jaju

Keywords

Related Articles

Ovarian Hernia A rarity

Ovarian hernias are extremely rare. Te prevalence of ovaries and fallopian tubes in operable inguinal hernias is only about 2.9%. We report here an unusual case of an ovary in a hernia sac in an adult female. She prese...

Immunotherapy for B-Cell Neoplasms using T Cells expressing Chimeric Antigen Receptors From antigen choice to clinical implementation

Immunotherapy with T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) is being evaluated as a potential treatment for B-cell neoplasms. In recent clinical trials it has shown promising results. As the number of potent...

Vitamin D Status in Healthy Omani Women of Childbearing Age Study of female staff at the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman

Objectives: Sunlight exposure has a vital role in vitamin D synthesis. Although vitamin D defciency has been well documented in temperate zones, studies have been scarce in tropical countries where the population is we...

Intraorbital Foreign Body: Clinical Presentation, Radiological Appearance and Management

Intraorbital foreign bodies usually occur after a high velocity injury such as gunshot or industrial accidents; more rarely they occur following trivial trauma. A retained foreign body can give rise to serious complicat...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP29159
  • DOI -
  • Views 329
  • Downloads 13

How To Cite

Mohammed A. Al-Abri, Samir Al-Adawi, Ibrahim Al-Abri, Faisal Al-Abri, Atsu Dorvlo, Ronald Wesonga, Sanjay Jaju (2018). Daytime Sleepiness Among Young Adult Omani Car Drivers. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 18(2), -. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-29159