Risk of obstructive sleep apnea and traffic accidents among male bus drivers in Ecuador: Is there a significant relationship?

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) represents an important occupational health concern in the transportation industry, affecting a substantial percentage of transportation operators. Our study aims to determine the frequency of individuals at high risk of obstructive sleep apnea, and excessive daytime sleepiness, as well as any potential association between these conditions and traffic accidents among a sample of Ecuadorian bus drivers. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 340 commercial bus drivers from Ecuador. Descriptive statistics were used to determine frequency and proportions for demographic and clinical variables. A Kendall's tau-b was performed to ascertain the relationship between the STOP-Bang score towards the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score and the number of accidents and near accidents. RESULTS: In general, 18.5% (n = 63) of participants were found to be at high-risk for OSA. There was a weak positive correlation between STOP-Bang score and ESS score (τ(b) = 0.244, p = .000). We also found a statistically significant, although negligible, correlation between the STOP-Bang score and the number of accidents (τ(b) = 0.096, p = .039) and near accidents (τ(b) = 0.120, p = .008). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a considerable proportion of Ecuadorian bus drivers were at high-risk for obstructive sleep apnea. Higher STOP-Bang scores were correlated with an increased number of accidents and near accidents. Additional studies are needed to determine whether additional interventions could increase road safety by taking care of undiagnosed and untreated OSA cases in a timely manner.