title: Lifestyle risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetic risk in a sedentary occupational group: the Galway taxi driver study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Taxi drivers are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), something which persists after correcting for the overrepresentation of traditional risk factors for CVD in this cohort. The contribution of lifestyle risk factors to this residually elevated CVD risk remains under-evaluated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors for CVD, self-reported medical risk factors for CVD, and future risk of type 2 diabetes amongst Irish taxi drivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male taxi drivers with no history of CVD and type 2 diabetes and working in Galway city in the west of Ireland were invited to participate. Physical activity levels, dietary patterns, anthropometry, smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, and Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) values were recorded in a cross-sectional manner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  41 taxi drivers (mean age 56.7 ± 9.8 years) participated. 37 % were insufficiently active based on self-report, although only 8 % objectively achieved 10, 000 steps per day. Mean modified Mediterranean diet score (mMDS) was 4.6 ± 2.2, and only 13 % of participants had a normal body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC). Those who worked for taxi companies tended to have a higher BMI (p = .07) and WC (p = .04) by multivariable regression. 22 % were current smokers, although a quit rate of 72 % was observed amongst the 78 % of taxi drivers who had ever smoked. 25 % were at high or very high risk of future type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lifestyle risk factors for CVD and dysglycaemia are prevalent amongst Irish taxi drivers.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. william.martin@nuigalway.ie.|National Institute for Preventive Cardiology, Galway, Ireland. william.martin@nuigalway.ie.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.|National Institute for Preventive Cardiology, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flaherty
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002947:Cities; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; FINDRISC; Hypercholesterolaemia; Hypertension; Lifestyle risk factors; Taxi drivers; Type 2 diabetes