Study of Factors Influencing Drug Use Among Commercial Drivers in Suburban Public Transport

Abstract

Background and aims: This study was conducted to determine the economic, social, and cultural factors influencing the consumption of drugs by drivers of public vehicles in 2013. Materials and Methods: The capture-recapture method was employed to determine drug use, its type, and the time of consumption among drivers of public transport. At the capture stage, 384 of the samples were surveyed and then (15 days later) at the recapture stage, 1176 drivers were randomly selected. All drivers who crossed the boundaries of Hormozgan, Khuzestan, Khorasan Razavi, West and East Azarbaijan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Gilan during the defined time were randomly selected. The sample size was 196 drivers for each boundary based on the traffic volume of each boundary and type of vehicle. Results: The mean age of the addicted and non-addicted subjects was 41.65 ± 3.41 years and 39.63 ± 2.11 years, respectively, with a significant difference (P = 0.01). There were significant differences between addicted and non-addicted subjects with respect to some of the socioeconomic variables such as monthly income (P = 0.001), owning home (P = 0.001), owning car (P = 0.001), ethnicity (P = 0.016), and education (P = 0.01). There were significant differences in the economic and cultural factors affecting addictive drug use between non-addicted and addicted subjects (P = 0.001). Conclusion: A significant difference in economic and cultural factors, ethnicity, and levels of education was observed between non-addicted and addicted subjects.

Keywords

• drug use
• commercial drivers
• capture-recapture