Assessment of UK Heavy Goods Vehicle drivers' lifestyle behaviours: a cross-sectional study

Objective: Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers face difficult working conditions, promoting unhealthy lifestyle behaviours which are associated with an elevated prevalence of long-term health conditions.

Methods: 109 drivers across the UK completed an online survey investigating differences in lifestyle behaviours between drivers with (N=54) and without obesity (N=55), including differences on work and non-workdays using an exploratory data analysis approach.

Results: Drivers with obesity (49.6%) perceived more barriers to healthy eating and being active than drivers without obesity. Drivers with obesity reported choosing more unhealthy options as snacks, ate more often at fast-food chains, and fewer fulfilled the physical activity guidelines. Additionally, the two groups differed regarding food and beverage choices on work and non-workdays.

Conclusions: HGV drivers with obesity exhibit various dietary and physical activity behaviours associated with overnutrition and poor cardiometabolic health.