The health of Swiss bus drivers between 2010 and 2022
Want to know how the health of bus drivers has evolved in recent years? Discover the key findings of a study that compares their health status and working conditions between 2010 and 2022.
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1. What is the subject of this study?
This study focuses on the health of bus drivers, their working conditions, and how these have evolved between 2010 and 2022.
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2. Why was this population chosen?
In 2019, during a study on lung cancer across professions in Switzerland, researchers from Unisanté found that bus drivers die more often from this cancer than other professionals. Another study also showed a higher rate of suicide among public transport workers. However, researchers didn’t know why, as there was no information on the working conditions of bus drivers. The few studies conducted in Switzerland on bus drivers either did not or barely described their working conditions and occupational risks, which are key elements to understanding the link with their health.
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3. Why are there so few studies on this topic?
First, it’s important to know that in Switzerland, there are very few scientific studies specific to professional groups. Most research of this type focuses on the general population. Research on workers' health is difficult to fund and conduct; companies are generally reluctant to engage in such research. This explains why existing studies are primarily driven by unions.
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4. What is the objective of this study?
The main objective was to assess the health status of bus drivers by analyzing the responses to an anonymous online questionnaire while gathering more information about their working conditions. We also aimed to analyze the changes in health problems and working conditions among these professionals between 2010 and 2022.
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5. How did you conduct this study and obtain your results?
This study was conducted in collaboration with unions, who distributed the online questionnaire to their members across Switzerland. The SEV (Swiss Transport Workers’ Union) had already carried out this survey in 2010 and 2018. We took it over, adding a few questions about COVID-19 to gather more information, as in 2022, the pandemic had just subsided.
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6. What were the findings, and how do you interpret them?
The findings show that many bus drivers in Switzerland are affected by health problems. They mainly suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, which are the top health issue for this profession. In fact, 77% of the study participants reported having at least one such disorder, the most common being shoulder or neck pain, as well as back pain. Another health issue reported by over half of the participants is abnormal fatigue.
Regarding the evolution of health problems, the study shows that shoulder or neck pain has increased since 2010, as have sleep disorders, accidents, and sick leave.
Finally, regarding working conditions, the majority of respondents feel that they have deteriorated. The most challenging aspects according to them are workdays exceeding 10 hours, the behavior of cyclists on the road, and the lack of access to toilets.
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7. What conclusions did you draw from this?
We observe that for many bus drivers, their health status is unsatisfactory, but we lack information to understand the exact causes. The deterioration of working conditions, which occurs alongside the rise in the proportion of professionals with health problems, suggests a possible link between the two. However, with this type of study—essentially a snapshot of a small group of unionized bus drivers—it is not possible to confirm this link with certainty.
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8. What are the strengths and limitations of this study?
A strength of this study is that it was conducted three times: in 2010, 2018, and 2022. This offers three points of comparison to properly assess the evolution of bus drivers' health and working conditions. However, one limitation of this study is that it is based on a fairly simple questionnaire, relying on subjective responses regarding working conditions and health status. Therefore, it is not possible to establish a clear causal link between the two based on this study.
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9. Did this study have any impact?
This study helped shed light on the health status of bus drivers in Switzerland. Thanks to these results, some public transport companies were able to take measures to improve the situation. This study was an important step toward better understanding and addressing the professional and health challenges faced by bus drivers.
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10. What do you see as the next logical step following this study?
We have scientifically highlighted the issue and made it public through specialized articles. Now, the problem needs to be solved by dissecting its components to fully understand the situation. To do this, it is necessary to deepen this research with a more rigorous methodology. A cohort study, meaning following a group of bus drivers over several years, would allow us to objectively determine how working conditions and their evolution impact health and well-being at work. Cohort studies are complex due to their very strict and regulated protocol, expensive, and difficult to conduct. But they are what allow us to avoid the biases and limitations of simple anonymous surveys. In the field of health and prevention, prospective cohort studies are the required standard.