Nutritional Assessment of Taxi Drivers at the Airport and Bus Station of Joinville/SC

Abstract

Introduction and objective: The routine of taxi drivers is quite arduous, spend much of the working time sitting, dealing with stressful traffic and long working hours, the consumption of snacks is common, because most of the time they need to be always ready to serve their customers, which often interferes with life habits and food. In view of the above, the present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status of airport and bus taxi drivers in Joinville/SC. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, with taxi drivers with one year or more of service. Anthropometry was performed, and questionnaires on life habits and working conditions and food frequency were applied. Results: The mean age of the participants was 51.2 years, with a male prevalence. Obesity and overweight were observed, presented in 86.7% of taxi drivers, 86.7% of workers with cardiovascular risk, high incidence of sedentary lifestyle, low consumption of fresh foods, insufficient water intake. About working conditions, it was found that the workload exceeds 12 hours a day and few clearances. Discussion: most taxi drivers have worked in this profession for many years, have excessive workload and food based on processed foods. Conclusion: these conditions arising from the profession can negatively influence their food and quality of life if there is no awakening and effort on their part, thus, it is necessary to carry out awareness actions on food and general health aspects.