CABS #SpeakUp project report

Healthwatch Sheffield gave a small grant to CABS (Champions in Achieving Better Health in Sheffield) to undertake research with taxi drivers from ethnic minority groups.  They ran a survey and focus groups to build a picture of the barriers to health improvements for South Asian taxi drivers and how this group could be better supported to improve their health and wellbeing.  They spoke to 66 people in total.

Most people felt their physical health wasn't good, including poor sleep and a sedentary lifestyle.  Most people had at least one long term condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.  They were worried about developing others in future due to their family history or lifestyle, but didn't visit their GP very often.

People also shared concerns about their emotional and mental health. Nearly everyone said they feel stressed at least some of the time in a typical week.

When asked about the barriers to accessing formal support, people said the financial and time cost of accessing support is prohibitive.  People also cited that that it could be difficult to get the right support from their GP due to difficulties in booking GP appointments and the support offered wasn't always culturally appropriate.  

Barriers to being healthy included time and cost of making healthier choices, maintaining a balanced diet and support from others.  The report explores possible solutions and contains five recommendations.