Driving to Better Health: Screening for Hypertension and Associated Factors Among Commercial Taxi Drivers in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

Hypertension is a critical public health issue in South Africa. Commercial taxi drivers constitute a vulnerable group who are predisposed to hypertension due to the nature of their work. Yet, unlike other population sub-groups, their health status and lifestyle behaviour have rarely been investigated.

To screen for hypertension and the associated risks factors among commercial taxi drivers in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), South Africa.

This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study of a convenience sample of 403 commercial taxi drivers in BCMM. The modified WHO STEPwise questionnaire was used for obtaining demographic and behavioural information from the participants. Blood pressure (BP), blood glucose and anthropometric measurements followed standard procedure. Pre-hypertension was defined as systolic BP of 120-139 mmHg and diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg and hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140mmHg and/or diastolic BP of ≥90mmHg, self-reported history of hypertension or current medication use. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to determine the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The study participants were 98.8% male, age ranged from 20 to 74 years, with a mean age of 43.3 years (SD±12.5).The prevalence of pre-hypertension was 33.7% and hypertension was 57.0%. After adjusting for confounders, age>35 years (p=0.004), obesity and alcohol use (p<0.001), period of driving>5years (p=0.028) and diabetes (P=0.003) were significant predictors of hypertension.

The prevalence of hypertension among commercial taxi drivers in BCMM is high and associated with ageing and other cardiovascular risk factors. There is a need for interventions aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle and reduction of hypertension among this group, particularly the older ones.