Establishing Reference Data for Fitness Assessment of Law Enforcement Officers Using a Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

Physical fitness tests are a standard means of evaluating the competence of police officers. This qualitative review aims (i) to document, compare, and examine the reference values available in the current literature regarding fitness tests for Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs), and (ii) to define reference values for the most used fitness tests to assess and predict police officer performance. A total of 1879 records were collected for review from two major literature databases, PubMed and ScienceDirect. After applying our exclusion criteria, a total of 19 studies were considered. All studies demonstrated acceptable methodological quality in fitness assessment, and the most used components were muscle strength, muscular endurance, muscle power, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, flexibility, and agility. This review provides (i) a methodological definition for the physical fitness assessment that helps select the most used fitness tests, (ii) a standardised methodology for establishing reference data for fitness tests appropriate for LEOs; and (iii) aggregate reference values for selected fitness tests. This may improve selection and retention procedures, considering that this group performs its duties in an environment and under conditions that differ from those of other occupational groups. Complementarily, this qualitative review also provides a foundation for developing effective interventions to improve each aspect of fitness testing for police officers.

Physical Fitness and Psychosocial Profiles of Policewomen from Professional Training Courses and Bodyguard Special Police Sub-Unit

“…Although several studies show that there is evidence of a decrease in muscle strength exercises with age, others state that there is no significant difference in women across age groups [ 22 , 31 ]. In accordance, the difference in the performance of the different tests can be attributed to several factors, such as (i) the level of physical condition; (ii) the type of training performed; and (iii) cultural or social factors that influence the level of physical activity [ 5 ].…”

“…Maintaining physical fitness (PF) is essential to efficiently face the demands of this profession, as it is considered critical to adequately perform the activities associated with their role [ 1 ]. In this context, the literature highlights body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, agility, and speed as relevant attributes for the performance of the police profession [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ], as well as a guarantee of health and well-being [ 6 , 7 ].…”

Four-Year Training Course for Police Officers (CFOP) and Fitness Outcomes of Police Academy Cadets: A Cohort Study from 2004 to 2020

“…A recent review of the literature (see [29,30]) showed that a variety of physical fitness tests exist to assess and predict police officer performance, and the most applied fitness assessments were (i) push-ups, sit-ups, vertical jump, and handgrip tests for muscle strength; (ii) 12-min Cooper, 1.5-mile run, 2.4-mile run, and 20 m shuttle run for aerobic capacity; and (iii) sit-and-reach for flexibility. According to Massuça et al [29], more and more tests are being used to assess various fitness attributes, such as muscular strength and aerobic capacity.…”