Course

ICAT Playdate: Continuous health monitoring of long haul truck drivers through wearable technology

Feb 21, 2025 - Feb 21, 2025
1 credit

Enroll

Full course description

Term: Spring 2025

Date: February 21st, 2025

Time: 8:30am - 9:30am

Location: Community Assembly in the Creativity + Innovation District Living-Learning Community

Instructor: Phyllis Newbill

Presented By: Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT)

 

Description:

This longitudinal health study of long haul truck drivers uses continuous monitoring of their vital signs and lifestyle choices. Long haul truck drivers are an integral part of our economy moving over 70% of American freight. Unfortunately, the typical lifestyle of a long haul CMV driver often leads to poor health, lower quality of life, and even decreased longevity. Due to irregular shifts and travel on the road, they do not have access to healthy food options, and their circadian rhythm is severely affected. Study has shown that truck drivers suffer from critical health condition like obesity, sleep apnea, hypertension, and diabetes. There is a significant research gap in understanding the physiological and circadian disruptions experienced by drivers and their direct impact on health and safety. This gap highlights the need for continuous, objective monitoring to develop targeted interventions that can mitigate these health risks and enhance driver well-being and safety. In this study, we have shown that the use of wearable technologies can provide insight into both micro to macro level health and lifestyle factors affecting long haul truck drivers. Through pilot collection of data through wearables and daily questionnaires, we demonstrate a pathway to develop a large-scale study that will not only improve driver health but also enhance road safety. Ultimately, healthier drivers translate to a more sustainable workforce, lower healthcare costs, and greater economic efficiency for the freight industry as a whole.

Speakers:

Abhijit Sarkar (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute),

Mengxi Zhang (Health Systems & Implementation Science),

Surendrabikram Thapa (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute)

 

Sign up for this course today!

Enroll