Prevalence and Factors Associated with Hypovigilance Among Professional Taxi-Bus Drivers in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: A Cross-Sectional Study
Prévalence et Facteurs Associés à l'Hypovigilance chez les Conducteurs Professionnels de Taxi-Bus à Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo : Une étude transversale
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67260/hra.v4i7.7879Keywords:
hypovigilance, drowsiness, professional drivers, road safety, KinshasaAbstract
Introduction. Reduced alertness (hypovigilance) while driving is a major contributor to road traffic accidents, yet its burden among professional drivers in sub‑Saharan Africa remains poorly documented. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypovigilance and its associated factors among professional taxi‑bus drivers in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods. We conducted an analytical cross‑sectional study among 597 taxi‑bus drivers. We measured hypovigilance using the BOSS scale (score >3). We used three‑stage random sampling and performed multinomial logistic regression to identify associated factors. Results. The prevalence of hypovigilance was 65.2% (95% CI: 61.3–69.1). In multivariate analysis, excessive daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale score ≥7) increased the risk of hypovigilance by nearly twofold (aOR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.07–3.15). Conversely, good perceived sleep quality was protective (aOR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.35–0.98). Tobacco use and a history of accidents were associated with hypovigilance in bivariate analysis but did not remain significant after adjustment. Conclusion. Hypovigilance affects nearly two thirds of taxi‑bus drivers in Kinshasa. Excessive daytime sleepiness is the main modifiable risk factor, while good sleep quality is protective. These findings support systematic screening for sleepiness and targeted sleep hygiene programmes for professional drivers.
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