Undiagnosed attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among unionized drivers in Ghana: Public health and policy implications

Road traffic accidents (RTA) are among the leading causes of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Many males that drop out of school in Ghana, a population at risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), find employment by joining driver’s unions. Moreover, the vehicles of Ghanaian unionized drivers are over-represented in fatal road accidents. Untreated ADHD has been linked with higher rates of RTAs. The objectives of this cross-sectional analysis is to determine the following among unionized drivers in Ghana: 1) the prevalence of ADHD, and 2) the association between self-reported ADHD risk and driving behavior. Data comes from participants’ responses (200 unionized drivers and 171 community controls) to a 6-item ADHD Self - Report Scale (ASRS), the Driving Behavior Survey (DBS), and a culturally adapted version of the Jerome Driving Questionnaire (JDQ-GH). The self-reported prevalence of ADHD was 17.6% for the unionized drivers and 7.8% for the control group (?2=7.7, df=1, p=0.006). Also, ADHD drivers endorsed that they were more likely to pay bribes to police and having worse driving behaviors across among both unionized drivers and controls. Study findings suggest that increased awareness of ADHD and possible screening of drivers for ADHD with subsequent evaluation and treatment may result in prevention of vehicle accidents.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2017.07.015
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457517302488
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Ulzen, Thaddeus P
  • Higginbotham, John C
  • Donnir, Gordon
  • Jerome, Laurence
  • Segal, Al
• Publication Date: 2018-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 12-16
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 114
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Drivers; Fatalities; Human factors in crashes; Labor unions; Public health; Traffic crashes; Transportation policy
• Geographic Terms: Ghana
• Subject Areas: Highways; Policy; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01664619
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 29 2018 9:31AM