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Risks for Workplace Violence in
Long-Haul Truckers
Debra
Anderson, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Deborah Reed, Ph.D.;
Steve Browning,
Ph.D., Co-Investigators
Funded by the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Grant #1 R01 OH07931-01
(2002-2005)
Abstract
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An average of 20 workers are murdered each week in the U.S.,
and an estimated 18,000 workers per week are victims of
non-fatal assault. Homicide is the leading cause of death
among U.S. women in the workplace and, depending on the
geographic area, the first, second or third leading cause of
death among all workers. Sixteen percent of workplace
homicides are committed by an intimate partner. The
purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence and
distribution of workplace violence among female and male
long-haul truck drivers and the effects of violence on their
mental and physical health.
The specific aims are to:
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Identify the types of
violence that women and men experience while working as
long-haul truck drivers
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Identify risk factors that
contribute to violence against truckers and between
truckers
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Differentiate the risks of
work-related stress among distinct socio-demographic
groups of truckers as they relate to specific exposures
experienced by long-haul truck drivers
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Determine the prevalence of
domestic violence experienced by long-haul truck drivers
when their driving partner is also their intimate
partner
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Identify work environment
factors that place truck drivers’ safety at risk.
The aims of this project are
consistent with the Healthy People 2010 objectives
that address the reduction of work-related homicides
(Objective 20-5) and work-related assaults (Objective 20-6),
and with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA)
Objectives. The study also addresses types of violence
identified by the Iowa Report to the Nation on Workplace
Violence (2001). The project specifically focuses on
risk factors related to workplace violence in the long-haul
trucking profession.
A cross-sectional
non-intervention design using both quantitative and
qualitative methods will be used to collect data. A
quantitative survey will be conducted with a non-probability
sample (N = 1400) recruited at truck shows and truck stops
across the U.S. Data will be collected on violence-related
variables (e.g. harassment, weapons, assault, rape, robbery,
worksite security, fatigue, psychological strain, and
substance abuse). Qualitative data on violence at the
worksite will be collected via 60 phone interviews with a
purposive sample of 30 female and 30 male participants. The
interviewees will answer open-ended questions about
workplace violence. The findings will assist in the
development of interventions to decrease the risk of
exposure to violence in the long haul trucking industry. A
sequential and staged approach to the analysis of the data
will be pursued. Descriptive statistics will be compiled as
appropriate for the level of measurement of the variables.
Depending on the specific aim, bivariate relationships,
logistic regression, discriminant analysis, Cronbach’s
alpha, and ANCOVA will be used. Constant-comparative methods
and content analysis matrices will be used to describe,
analyze, and interpret the qualitative data.
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