Prevalence of Occupational Risk Factors and Psychological Stress and Its Association With Quality of Life Among App-Based Drivers

Background and objectiveThe increasing use of digital transportation platforms has expanded app-based driving as an urban occupation.Although this work offers flexibility, drivers may be exposed to prolonged sitting, repetitive driving, extended working hours, traffic congestion, irregular meals, inadequate rest, and limited physical activity, which may contribute to physical discomfort and fatigue.They may also experience psychological stress related to unpredictable income, incentives, customer ratings, time pressure, traffic, and uncertain working hours.These physical and psychosocial demands may adversely affect quality of life (QoL), including physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and daily functioning.There is a need to better understand these factors among app-based drivers in India.Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of occupational risk factors and psychological stress and to investigate their association with QoL among app-based drivers. MethodsA cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 140 app-based drivers selected using convenience sampling based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.Data were collected using a demographic proforma, a self-structured occupational risk factors questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire.Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and determine the prevalence of occupational risk factors and psychological stress.Inferential statistics, including Spearman's rank correlation, were used to assess the associations between occupational risk factors, psychological stress, and QoL.A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsA total of 140 app-based drivers participated in the study.Most participants had moderate occupational risk levels (94, 67.1%), while 92 (65.7%) experienced moderate psychological stress.The mean quality-of-life scores were 3.48 for general QoL, 3.23 for physical health, 3.24 for psychological health, 3.41 for social relationships, and 3.48 for environmental health.The additional work-related quality-of-life item had a mean score of 3.36.Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed a moderate negative correlation between psychological stress and QoL (ρ = -0.518,p < 0.001) and a weak negative correlation between occupational risk factors and QoL (ρ = -0.261,p = 0.002). ConclusionThe findings indicate that higher psychological stress and greater exposure to occupational risk factors were associated with poorer QoL among app-based drivers.These findings highlight the importance of addressing occupational and psychological factors to support drivers' well-being.Strategies such as ergonomic education, stress management, adequate rest, and periodic occupational health screening may help promote the physical and psychological well-being of app-based drivers.