Truck Driver Nutrition: Time and space constraints, and need for social connection, adversely affecting workers' dietary choices
Even workers who know what a balanced diet is will still benefit from job-specific education on dietary behaviour and food preparation strategies aimed at mitigating the health and safety impacts of poor eating choices, a new study suggests.
Adding a motivational element to dietary training programs can help cement change in workers, the researchers, from the UK's Loughborough University and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, say.
The team studied long-haul truck drivers, and say this group of workers operate in environments that promote unhealthy lifestyle behaviours like physical inactivity and poor dietary choices, which, when coupled with high stress, sleep deprivation and shift work, culminate in an increased risk of road crashes and long-term health conditions.
"Evidence from US, Australian, and German truck drivers has shown that drivers' diets typically contain energy dense food and drinks, with low nutritious values, purchased from roadside facilities," the researchers say.
"Nutrition workshops... should be offered in the workplace." Research team
Their findings were informed by interviews with UK truck drivers on the barriers and facilitators of healthy eating.
They found drivers were able to eat healthier if they prepared food at home or brought ingredients with them to prepare in their trucks, but this required good planning, adequate facilities, discipline against temptation, and time.
Some drivers reported not having enough room in their cab to store enough food for their shifts or the right equipment to prepare healthy meals in their truck.
Limited availability of affordable healthy food options at service stations and depots was a major barrier to healthy eating, and many drivers said fresh food was often sold out by the time they had their breaks.
Often, breaks were not long enough for them to eat a healthy meal, especially if they also wanted to sleep or use the bathroom.
Some drivers tended to choose quicker, unhealthy food options so they could join their co-workers at meal times for social connection, rather than excluding themselves to cook or prepare a healthy meal in their trucks.
More break flexibility and training required for change
"When drivers were asked about what kind of changes they need in their working environments, the most mentioned theme was to be more flexible when taking breaks," the researchers say.
"Drivers are restricted to when and where to stop which affects their food choices as the right food would have to be available at the right time," they say.
"Improved rest areas and healthier food option provision will only positively impact drivers' diets if they are able to reach them during their break times."
The researchers stress that while policy changes are needed to improve drivers' working environments, and their health and diet in the longer term, individual-level interventions can help them make changes that are within their control.
Most drivers in the study knew what a balanced diet was but wanted improved education on dietary behaviours, they say, including on healthy eating and food preparation strategies to overcome the confines of their work environment.
Modules on these topics should be part of driver training, the researchers say.
But they stress that previous research shows that "knowledge and skills are not enough to change eating habits without forming an appropriate motivational basis".
"Nutrition workshops including meal-prepping strategies, cooking techniques and how to understand food labels should be offered in the workplace to help drivers put their knowledge into practice," the researchers suggest.
"This could be combined with drivers being encouraged to share knowledge about positive experiences to keep their motivations for healthier eating high over the longer term."
An exploration of barriers and facilitators to healthy eating in UK truck drivers. Katharina Ruettger, et al, UK, Safety and Health at Work, published online January 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2024.12.001.
