Bus Operators' Body Weight Changes During Their First 2 Years of Work: A Retrospective Survey.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Transportation Safety
• Public Health

Background:

• Bus operators face unique occupational demands.
• Early career stages are critical for establishing healthy work habits.
• Weight changes and training needs in this profession are under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess weight changes in bus operators during their initial year of employment.
• To identify desired training topics for new bus operators, particularly health-related subjects.
• To understand the gap between experienced and desired initial training.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 261 bus operators.
• Participants reported on weight fluctuations during their first two years on the job.
• Survey data also captured experiences and preferences regarding initial job training.

Main Results:

• Bus operators reported an average weight gain of 7.64 lbs in their first year, with no significant gain in the second year.
• The majority of operators indicated that health-related topics were absent from their initial training.
• Stress management and healthy eating emerged as the most requested training topics.

Conclusions:

• Bus operators experience medically significant weight gain during their first year of work.
• There is a clear demand for enhanced health-related training, including stress management and nutrition, for new operators.
• Further research is warranted to investigate the contributing occupational factors and develop targeted interventions.