A Pilot Study of Healthy Living Options at 16 Truck Stops Across the United States.
There is a growing body of evidence that the built environment influences diet and exercise and, as a consequence, community health status. Since long-haul truck drivers spend long periods of time at truck stops, it is important to know if this built environment includes resources that contribute to the emotional and physical well-being of drivers.



The truck stop environment was defined as the truck stop itself, grocery stores, and medical clinics near the truck stop that could be accessed by a large truck or safely on foot.



Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed and utilized a checklist to record the availability of resources for personal hygiene and comfort, communication and mental stimulation, health care, safety, physical activity, and nutrition at truck stops.



The NIOSH checklist was used to collect data at a convenience sample of 16 truck stops throughout the United States along both high-flow and low-flow truck traffic routes.



The checklist was completed by observation within and around the truck stops.



No truck stops offered exercise facilities, 94% lacked access to health care, 81% lacked a walking path, 50% lacked fresh fruit, and 37% lacked fresh vegetables in their restaurant or convenience store.



The NIOSH found that most truck stops did not provide an overall healthy living environment.
1 Division of Safety Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Jennifer E
JE
Lincoln
2 Divisions of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Jan
J
Birdsey
2 Divisions of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
W Karl
WK
Sieber
1 Division of Safety Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Guang-X
GX
Chen
3 Division of Applied Research and Technology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Edward M
EM
Hitchcock
4 Department of Occupational and Community Health Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
Akinori
A
Nakata
2 Divisions of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Cynthia F
CF
Robinson
D001334:Automobile Driving; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D016272:Occupational Health; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012147:Restaurants; D012449:Safety; D014481:United States
exercise; nutrition; obesity; safety; truck stop
Am J Health Promot. 1993 Nov-Dec;8(2):117-23
10146826
AAOHN J. 2011 Oct;59(10):429-36
21936482
Am J Ind Med. 2014 Jun;57(6):615-26
24390804
AAOHN J. 2009 Oct;57(10):405-13
19780514
AAOHN J. 2003 Mar;51(3):120-5
12670099
Epidemiol Rev. 2007;29:129-43
17533172
Health Place. 2009 Jun;15(2):491-5
19022700
J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Dec;107(12 ):2125-9
18060899
Occup Environ Med. 2012 Apr;69(4):291-5
22006936
Am J Prev Med. 2008 Feb;34(2):127-33
18201642
Traffic Inj Prev. 2008;9(3):201-10
18570141
PLoS One. 2013 Dec 27;8(12):e85141
24386458
Prev Chronic Dis. 2014 Mar 06;11:E36
24602590
Am J Prev Med. 2006 Apr;30(4):333-9
16530621
J Phys Act Health. 2012 Feb;9(2):259-69
22368225
Am J Ind Med. 2004 Nov;46(5):463-71
15490476
Health Educ Res. 2004 Jun;19(3):306-15
15140850
J Occup Environ Med. 2015 Feb;57(2):210-6
25654523
Health Educ Q. 1988 Winter;15(4):351-77
3068205
Am J Prev Med. 2008 Jul;35(1):38-46
18541175
Nurs Forum. 2012 Jul-Sep;47(3):140-52
22861651
J Nutr. 2010 Jun;140(6):1175-80
20392882