OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Brazilian road truck drivers' quality of life. METHODS: The research method used was descriptive-exploratory, comparative and cross-sectional. The assessment instruments used were: a demographic questionnaire; the generic quality of life questionnaire Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36). The total population studied was 206 road truck drivers active in the Brazilian federal roads. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t test, the means comparison by variance analysis, qui-square (χ²)contingency analysis, the Pearson simple correlation analysis, and the Fisher exact test. The significance level was 5%. RESULTS: The drivers showed better scores on physical (p < 0.0001), vitality (p = 0.0002) and social function (p < 0.0001) sub-scales. There was no significant difference between physical function, general health and emotional aspects. Furthermore sleep duration reduction, too early awakenings and prolonged driving affected negatively the SF-36 scores. CONCLUSION: According to SF-36 scores, the truck drivers assessed in this study showed the best quality of life predictors for physical function, vitality and social function. No significant differences were found in terms of physical function, general health and emotional aspects.
quality of life; truck drivers; SF-36
