RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Professional truck drivers, as other shift workers, have been identified as a high-risk group for various health conditions including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, sleep apnoea and stress. Mobile health technologies can potentially improve the health and wellbeing of people with a sedentary lifestyle such as truck drivers. Yet, only a few studies on health promotion interventions related to mobile health technologies for truck drivers have been conducted. We aimed to explore professional truck drivers' views on health promotion delivered via mobile health technologies such as wearable devices. METHODS: We conducted a phenomenological qualitative study, consisting of four semi-structured focus groups with 34 full-time professional truck drivers in the UK. The focus groups were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. We discussed drivers' perceptions of their health, lifestyle and work environment, and their past experience and expectations from mobile health technologies. RESULTS: The participants viewed their lifestyle as unhealthy and were aware of possible consequences. They expressed the need and wish to change their lifestyle, yet perceived it as an inherent, unavoidable outcome of their occupation. Current health improvement initiatives were not always aligned with their working conditions. The participants were generally willing to use mobile health technologies such as wearable devices, as a preventive measure to avoid prospect morbidity, particularly cardiovascular diseases. They were ambivalent about privacy and the risk of their employer's monitoring their clinical data. CONCLUSIONS: Wearable devices may offer new possibilities for improving the health and wellbeing of truck drivers. Drivers were aware of their unhealthy lifestyle. They were interested in changing their lifestyle and health. Drivers raised concerns regarding being continuously monitored by their employer. Health improvement initiatives should be aligned with the unique working conditions of truck drivers. Future research is needed to examine the impact of wearable devices on improving the health and wellbeing of professional drivers.
Asunto(s)
Actitud Frente a la Salud , Conducción de Automóvil , Promoción de la Salud , Vehículos a Motor , Telemedicina , Adulto , Anciano , Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/prevención & control , Diabetes Mellitus/prevención & control , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Obesidad/prevención & control , Servicios de Salud del TrabajadorRESUMEN
Onset of alcohol use at an early age increases the risk for later alcohol dependence. We investigated the role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene (NR3C1) in onset of alcohol use and abuse in 14-year-old adolescents (n=4534). Several NR3C1 polymorphisms were associated with onset of alcohol drinking or drunkenness at this age. Strongest associations were observed in females, with one marker (rs244465) remaining significant after correction for multiple testing (P(adj) =0.0067; odds ratio=1.7, for drunkenness). Our data provide the first evidence that GR modulates initiation of alcohol abuse and reveal a polymorphism that might contribute to susceptibility to addiction.
Asunto(s)
Alcoholismo/genética , Alelos , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad/genética , Polimorfismo Genético/genética , Receptores de Glucocorticoides/genética , Adolescente , Edad de Inicio , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/genética , Intoxicación Alcohólica/genética , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Finlandia , Pruebas Genéticas , Humanos , Masculino , Fenotipo , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple/genética , Estudios Prospectivos , Factores SexualesRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The genetic component of alcohol use disorder is substantial, but monozygotic twin discordance indicates a role for nonheritable differences that could be mediated by epigenetics. Despite growing evidence associating epigenetics and psychiatric disorders, it is unclear how epigenetics, particularly DNA methylation, relate to brain function and behavior, including drinking behavior. METHOD: The authors carried out a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation of 18 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for alcohol use disorder and validated differentially methylated regions. After validation, the authors characterized these differentially methylated regions using personality trait assessment and functional MRI in a sample of 499 adolescents. RESULTS: Hypermethylation in the 3'-protein-phosphatase-1G (PPM1G) gene locus was associated with alcohol use disorder. The authors found association of PPM1G hypermethylation with early escalation of alcohol use and increased impulsiveness. They also observed association of PPM1G hypermethylation with increased blood-oxygen-level-dependent response in the right subthalamic nucleus during an impulsiveness task. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the authors provide first evidence for an epigenetic marker associated with alcohol consumption and its underlying neurobehavioral phenotype.