Exploring Occupational and Health Behavioral Causes of Firefighter Obesity: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The results showed a strong interrelationship between occupational and health behavioral causes of obesity in firefighters. The relevance of these qualitative findings are discussed along with the implications for future obesity interventions with firefighters.

Comparison of body mass index with waist circumference and skinfold-based percent body fat in firefighters: adiposity classification and associations with cardiovascular disease risk factors

“…The main purpose of the FORWARD study (2010)(2011)(2012)(2013) was to identify occupational and behavioral risk factors for obesity in firefighters who work for a fire department in Sothern California, USA (Choi et al 2011Dobson et al 2013). The FORWARD study had strong support from both the fire department and a local union of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).…”

“…The FOR-WARD study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of California, Irvine. Phase I of the study involved developing a firefighter-specific work and health questionnaire through four focus groups with 20 firefighters from January to April 2011 Dobson et al 2013). Utilizing input from the focus groups, a 19-page firefighter-specific work and health questionnaire (called hereafter the FORWARD study questionnaire) was developed.…”

“…It is important to continuously support firefighter peer fitness certification programs (International Association of Fire Chiefs and International Association of Fire Fighters 2008). In addition, the role of the peer fitness trainers should be expanded to including nutrition and stress management as well as physical fitness, given the current unhealthy eating cultures (Dobson et al 2013;Haddock et al 2011) and stressful working conditions of firefighters (Choi et al 2011;Dobson et al 2013;Guidotti 1992;Kales et al 2009). Furthermore, we think that several obesogenic working conditions identified in the FOR-WARD study such as too many 24-h shifts, sedentary work, and low supervisor and management support (Choi et al 2011;Choi 2014;Dobson et al 2013) should be addressed in addition to efforts to enhance health promoting behaviors of firefighters.…”

A dietary and lifestyle worksite intervention to reduce high prevalence of overweight and obesity for London firefighters

“…This however seems to have been overlooked by UK researchers thus far. We aimed to design, implement and evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a fire station based dietary and lifestyle weight loss intervention for UK firefighters, factoring in a complex combination of exposures and firefighter specific cultural habits (5) .Forty London firefighters were recruited via staff email in February 2017. Thirty-eight firefighters (35 males, 3 females; mean age = 44·8, SD = 7·2) from 2 London fire stations (Hornchurch: intervention, Harold Hill: control) completed the one-month, clustercontrolled dietary and lifestyle intervention which ran February to March 2017.…”

“…This compromises physical fitness (2) and concomitant firefighter and public safety (3) . Research has identified specific exposures related to firefighting (4)(5) , which may also contribute to uniquely high rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) and acute myocardial infarctions (MI) seen in this occupational group (6) . These exposures include intense heat which could impair vascular function and increase thrombogenicity (4) , and fire stations as obesogenic environments which perpetuate a culture of over-nutrition alongside increasing sedentary behaviour (5) .…”