Estimating the incidence of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes among taxi drivers in Indonesia

Abstract

Objective: Health problems among taxi drivers can affect their performance and increase the risk of accidents. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dysglycemia and metabolic risk factors affecting taxi drivers in Jakarta to provide baseline information for programs to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in this specific population. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 106 male taxi drivers from 1006 total taxi drivers in Jakarta, Indonesia. All drivers underwent a general medical interview, physical examination, and oral glucose tolerance test. Results: The prevalence of dysglycemia in the taxi driver population was 54.7% (29.2% prediabetes and 25.5% diabetes). Central obesity was identified in 74.1% of dysglycemic individuals (P = 0.032). In the final multivariate analysis, waist circumference was the dominant factor that predicted dysglycemia (odds ratio 0.8; 95% confidence interval 1.01–5.26; P = 0.048). Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of dysglycemia in taxi drivers in Jakarta compared with the prevalence of dysglycemia in Indonesia (29.9% prediabetes and 6.9% diabetes), of which waist circumference is the strongest predictor. Programs must be implemented to prevent T2DM in this population.