Program Evaluation of Fit to Pass®, a Remotely Accessible Health Promotion Program for Commercial Motor Vehicle Truck Drivers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Carbone E ; Hammond S ; Heaton K ; Snyder P
• Description:
  Background: Chronic health conditions are highly prevalent among truck drivers due to many unique occupational and environmental stressors. Health promotion programs are shown to be effective in improving truck driver health outcomes; however, there is no research on whether such programs can increase the length of a driver's Department of Transportation (DOT) medical certificate. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate Fit to Pass (FTP), a remotely accessible health promotion program available for truck drivers on improved health outcomes and increased DOT medical certificate length. Method: Program evaluation included an evaluation of the FTP coaching guide against evidence-based practice guidelines. An analysis of a limited dataset of 22 truck driver records examined the effectiveness of the program in achieving improved health outcomes and increased medical certification length. Findings: A review of the literature revealed three major themes: (a) motivational interviewing to increase driver intention and self-efficacy; (b) mobile health care technology to connect hard-to-reach truck drivers; and (c) effectiveness of structured multicomponent health promotion programs. After participation in FTP, truck drivers experienced a mean decrease in weight and body mass index (BMI) of 4.6 lbs and 1.3 kg/m2, respectively. The lengths of initial DOT medical certificates were compared with DOT medical certificates received at the time of recertification (post-FTP). Only eight participants had the potential for improvement in certificate length. Of those, three truck drivers achieved an increased DOT medical certificate length at the time of recertification. Conclusion/Applications to Practice: FTP offers tailored and comprehensive health coaching for truck drivers using current evidence-based practice guidelines to educate and reinforce healthy lifestyle habits. Analysis of a limited dataset revealed a mean decrease in BMI and a trend of increased DOT medical certification lengths after participation in FTP; however, further research with larger sample sizes is recommended. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Health Promotion Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological Transportation
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Truck Driver DOT Certification Health Coaching Health Programs Health Promotion Job Stress Obesity Transportation Industry Truck Drivers
• ISSN:
  2165-0799
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  6-12
• Volume:
  72
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069030
• Citation:
  Workplace Health Saf 2024 Jan; 72(1):6-12
• Contact Point Address:
  Pamela Snyder, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, School of Nursing, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, NB 209, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294-1210
• Email:
  pspremiumcare@gmail.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Workplace Health & Safety
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9395bae015b29e046fd3516cc4f003dae04fc784bde2db7d7560df71eae939da7507eae29d2888cc9297325d7d746355738e19ee003d9490021040a00c2f5b97
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207580/cdc_207580_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 208.62 KB ]