International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue VII, July 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
Monica Anane, Asenso Kennedy, Shalom Adu –Bediako, Endurance Serwaa Asare
S.D.A College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana
Abstract: The ravages caused by blood pressure on humanity are alarming, especially in Ghana, where voluntary medical check-ups are not a priority for many. This study was a cross-sectional survey with the goal of determining the relationship between commercial drivers’ Body Mass Index (BMI) and Blood Pressure (BP) at the Madina lorry station. Using the purposive sampling technique, 150 male commercial drivers from the Madina main lorry station were chosen for the study. It emerged from the study that there is positive correlation between BMIs and BP measurements among commercial drivers at Madina lorry station and a statistically significant relationship between age and blood pressure of respondents. The study therefore, recommend that GPRTU could organize weekly programs to engage drivers in some physical activities.
Keywords: Body Mass Index (BMI), Blood Pressure, hypertension.
I. INTRODUCTION
Hypertension, also known as BP (Blood Pressure) in Ghana, is a persistent increase in blood pressure with readings of 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or higher (WHO, 2015). Many people link high blood pressure with persons who are naturally stressed. Hypertension and personality features, on the other hand, have been shown in research to have no relationship. (AHA, 2015). The majority of instances are primary hypertension, which means that the cause of the hypertension is unknown. Age, family history, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and poor dietary habits have all been identified as risk factors for primary hypertension (National Kidney Foundation, 2015, World Heart Federation, 2012c). Hypertension has been associated with an increased risk of driving accidents in various studies (Brookes, 2008). Hypertensive drivers are more likely than healthy drivers to be involved in catastrophic accidents, according to a research by Ashraf (2019). The Ghanaian Times reported on a 40-year-old commercial driver who experienced a stroke and had a blood pressure of 190/120mmhg at the time he was preparing to go to work on February 18, 2015. This could have resulted in a traffic accident if it had happened while he was driving. According to US federal transportation laws, a person with a known hypertension is ineligible to drive a commercial motor vehicle (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 2015). This indicates that commercial drivers’ blood pressure levels are a source of worry in the United States. A driver with severe hypertension may be more likely than a healthy driver to cause a car