Daytime sleepiness among young adult omani car drivers

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

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: Sleepiness and fatigue play significant roles in exacerbating the occurrence of car crashes. However, there is a dearth of studies examining the prevalence of sleepiness while driving among Omanis. This 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: This 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. The 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. There was a significant association between nocturnal sleep duration of <6 hours and sleepiness while driving (P = 0.042). Female participants were significantly more likely to score >10 on the ESS, indicating a greater propensity for daytime sleepiness (P = 0.006). However, male drivers were significantly 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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e143-e148
JournalSultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
Volume18
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2018

Keywords

  • Fatigue
  • Motor vehicles
  • Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
  • Oman
  • Sleep
  • Traffic accidents

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Daytime sleepiness among young adult omani car drivers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this