Assessment of Risk Status for Coronary artery disease in Terms of selected risk factors among bus Drivers

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a type of blood vessel disorder that is included in the general category of atherosclerosis. It is the leading cause of mortality accounting for more than half of all deaths resulting from NCDs. Among many occupations, bus drivers are known to be at high risk for developing cardiovascular diseases owing to sedentary life style, stress, incorrect dietary pattern, poor sleep etc., This study intended to assess the risk status for coronary artery disease among the bus drivers of Tamilnadu state transport corporation of Madurai district.

Quantitative research approach was adopted with the research design being non-experimental descriptive research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 200 bus drivers. Assessment of risk status was done using Coronary Artery Disease Risk Assessment Tool (CADRAT) and the techniques used were interview and biophysical measurements. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Among 200 drivers, 19% were overweight and 49% were obese; 46% had a waist circumference between 94 – 102 cm and 26% had > 102 cm; 24,5% were current smokers; 44% had the habit of consuming alcohol; 11% did not have the habit of performing exercise; 89.5% moderately healthy dietary pattern and 2% followed unhealthy dietary pattern; 72.5% were either moderately or severely stressful; 23.5% were diabetics; 33.5% had pre hypertension, 16.5% had stage I hypertension and 42.5% had isolated hypertension; and 11..5% had family of CAD. In terms of risk status, 71.5% had medium risk for CAD and 28.5% had high risk for CAD.

The current study findings conclude that there is high prevalence of certain risk factors among bus drivers increasing their risk to develop CAD. There is a vast scope for modification of risk factors among the bus drivers that has the potential to alter the natural history of atherosclerosis and slow CAD progression.