Objective:
To characterize the diet of volunteer firefighters compared with the United States recommended dietary intake.
Methods:
A survey was administered to members of volunteer fire department which collected information on demographics, behavioral risks, fire service history, and dietary intake using the Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Dietary intake was compared with US recommendations; associations between dietary intake and years of firefighting, were assessed using bi- and multivariate analysis.
Results:
The 122 male study participants were majority non-Hispanic white (96.4%), and over 90% were overweight or obese. Participants had lower mean intakes of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and dietary fiber, and a higher mean intake of added sugars compared with the US recommended dietary intake.
Conclusion:
Volunteer firefighters in our study had suboptimal daily dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber, whole grains, and added sugars.
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