Exploring Occupational and Behavioral Risk Factors for Obesity in Firefighters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Choi B ; Dobson M ; Israel L ; Schnall P
• Description:
  There are 1.2 million firefighters in the United States (US). Firefighters ranked third in obesity prevalence among 41 US male occupational groups. Obesity is a key health issue among firefighters who have a high risk for on-duty cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. However, few studies have examined the roles of working conditions and health behaviors of firefighters in obesity. In addition, few validated instruments have been available that assess the unique working conditions and health behaviors of firefighters who work on a 24 hour-shift system. Furthermore, there has been strong skepticism about body mass index (BMI) as a valid measure of overweight and obesity among firefighters. During the three-year period, we developed a firefighter occupational health questionnaire based on an extensive literature review and focus groups with 20 professional firefighters who worked for the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). In partnership with OCFA and the International Association for Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 3631, we recruited 365 professional firefighters for a cross-sectional survey (participation rate = 84%) using the developed questionnaire when they visited a clinic at the UCI COEH for their wellness and fitness (WEFIT) medical exams. Three adiposity measures (BMI, waist circumference, and skin-fold body fat %) and several CVD risk factors (blood pressure, lipid profiles, and VO2 max) were assessed based on standard protocols in the WEFIT medical exams. Among the survey participants, 85 firefighters were additionally recruited for a sub-study in which they were asked to wear a physical activity monitor and record their food intakes on a food-diary for two days (one on-duty day and one off-duty day). The information on physical activity and diet from the questionnaire was validated against that from the more objective measures in the substudy. The responses of firefighters to the questionnaire were found to be reliable. Overweight and obesity prevalence among male OCFA firefighters ranged from 49% (based on waist circumference) to 80% (based on BMI). There was a small difference (21-24%) in obesity prevalence, but a relatively large difference (25- 57%) in overweight prevalence between the three adiposity measures. Body fat % and waist circumference were more strongly associated with other CVD risk factors than BMI particularly among overweight firefighters. Several occupational factors (frequent 24-hr shifts, sedentary work, higher ranks, slow fire stations, low and high daily calls, low social support at work for exercise, and eating cultures at fire station) increased the risk for obesity among firefighters directly or indirectly through or in combination with health-related behaviors (overeating, infrequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, frequent consumption of fat and soft/energy drinks, infrequent exercise, and short sleep hours). The developed questionnaire will significantly facilitate studies on the relationships between work, health behaviors, and obesity and CVD in firefighters. The methodological investigation of obesity measures will contribute to making clearer guidelines for adiposity measures in firefighters. The occupational and behavioral risk factors from the current study will contribute to understanding the complex etiology of obesity and provide the basis for future obesity intervention research to prevent overweight and obesity among firefighters. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Firefighters Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  Behavior Patterns BMI Body Mass Index Fire Fighters Obesity Questionnaires Risk Factors
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-33
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056198
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-100121
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R21-OH-009911, 2013 Nov; :1-33
• Contact Point Address:
  BongKyoo Choi, ScD MPH. Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH), University of California, Irvine (UCI), 100 Theory Suite 100, Irvine, CA, 92617
• Email:
  b.choi@uci.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Performing Organization:
  University of California - Irvine
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20100901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20130831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:61110033c92a28e851b2c3cd0f710a182b435f75f063b7a520a3421a69b4ad9c9576a6aee4d2902757374052eeb74fa6e5f1450740f316208585ae2a37be7dfd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218882/cdc_218882_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 544.83 KB ]