Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 38 | Published: 07 Oct 2026
Irene Adinorkie Okutu1,2,&, Samuel Oko Sackey1,3, Alex Ansah Manu4, Moses Kportoe1,5, Jamin Godswill Agbazo1, Tsatsu Kwabla Arnong2, Isaac Dornu Abayateye6, Ebenezer Kofi Mensah1,7, Donne Kofi Ameme1, Ernest Kenu1
1Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Accra, Ghana, 2Ketu South Municipal Hospital – Ghana Health Service, Aflao, Ghana, 3University of Ghana, Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, Accra, Ghana, 4University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana, 5Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana, 6Pantang Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Accra, Ghana, 7Ghana Health Service, Public Health Reference Laboratory, Sekondi, Takoradi, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Irene Adinorkie Okutu; Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra, Ghana, Email: ireneoadinorkie@gmail.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0262-1775
Received: 11 Mar 2025, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 07 Oct 2026
Domain: Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Hypertension-mediated organ damage, long-distance drivers, left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertensive retinopathy, occupational health
©Irene Adinorkie Okutu et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Irene Adinorkie Okutu et al., Hypertension-mediated organ damage among long-distance drivers in the Ketu South Municipality of Ghana, 2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):38. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0038
Hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD), responsible for nearly a third (32%) of global deaths, poses a threat to long-distance drivers (LDD). Their sedentary occupation elevates cardiovascular risk, impairs alertness, and contributes to road traffic accidents, a public health concern. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding HMOD in this population. This study therefore assessed the prevalence and associated factors of HMOD among LDD in Ketu-South municipality.
We performed a cross-sectional study in 2025, recruiting LDD through stratified sampling of their transport unions. We gathered sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical data via a WHO STEPwise-adapted questionnaire. For drivers with hypertension, we assessed HMOD by performing fundoscopy for retinopathy, electrocardiography for left ventricular hypertrophy, and documenting self-reported stroke history. We applied descriptive statistics and regression analyses to identify associations between these variables and HMOD.
Among the 324 LLD studied (median age, 45 years; range, 25–66 years), nearly half (47.5%, n=154) were hypertensive. Of these, 55.2% (n=85) had at least one form of HMOD. Left ventricular hypertrophy was the most prevalent HMOD (37.7%, n=58), followed by hypertensive retinopathy (27.3%, n=42) and stroke (2.6%, n=4). Significant predictors of HMOD included alcohol consumption (aOR=9.5; 95% CI:3.0–9.5), smoking (aOR=5.1; 95% CI:1.5–16.9), hypertensive crisis (aOR=9.3; 95% CI:1.4–62.4), hypertension duration >10 years (aOR=5.5; 95% CI:1.7–18.3), and obesity (aOR=3.5; 95% CI:1.3–9.5). Protective factors included regular exercise (aOR=0.2; 95% CI: 0.08–0.6) and routine medical screening (aOR=0.1; 95% CI: 0.02–0.3).
Prevalence of HMOD among LDD was high, highlighting an occupational health disparity. The risk is increased by alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, and long duration of hypertension, and reduced by regular exercise and routine medical screening. Implementing mandatory occupational health programs that address these factors is essential to managing hypertension, preventing HMOD, and enhancing driver alertness, ultimately contributing to improved road safety.
Menu