Twenty-four-hour work shifts, increased job demands, and elevated blood pressure in professional firefighters

Abstract

Purpose To investigate whether working conditions (number of 24-h shifts, number of calls, sedentary work, job strain, effort–reward imbalance, and physical demands) are associated with elevated blood pressure and hypertension among professional firefighters. Methods A total of 330 (321 males and 9 females) firefighters were chosen for this study among the Southern California firefighters who participated in a work and obesity project. Working conditions were measured with a firefighter-specific occupational health questionnaire. Blood pressure was clinically assessed, and hypertension was defined according to the contemporary standard classification. Results About 11 % of the firefighters had hypertension. Fifty percent of the hypertensive firefighters (mostly mild hypertensive) had uncontrolled high blood pressure. Hypertension was more prevalent in male, older, and high-rank firefighters and firefighter who reported low numbers of daily calls. In male firefighters who were normotensive or hypertensive without taking anti-hypertensive medication, additional 24-h shifts in the past month increased the risk of elevated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) than those who reported a standard work schedule (eight to eleven 24-h shifts). Particularly, firefighters who reported sixteen 24-h shifts had 5.0 mmHg higher DBP (p < 0.01). Body mass index attenuated the association between number of shifts and blood pressure to some extent. Firefighters who reported “increased job demands over the past years” had 3.0 mmHg (p = 0.06) higher systolic blood pressure. Other working conditions were not associated with elevated blood pressure and hypertension. Conclusions Many additional 24-h shifts and increased job demands were risk factors for elevated blood pressure in male firefighters. Optimal collective and individual workload and improved hypertension management are warranted for enhancing the cardiovascular health of firefighters.

Stress Spillover in Policing and Negative Relationship Functioning for Law Enforcement Marriages

“…While demands in the line of duty may directly contribute to physical and mental health outcomes by means of witnessing or engaging in violence in order to fulfill duties, other indirect contributions may also have an impact such as 24-hr shifts, night shifts, diet, or proximity to dangerous neighborhoods (Can & Hendy, 2014; Choi, Schnall, & Dobson, 2016).…”

Memory, stress, and the hippocampal hypothesis: Firefighters' recollections of the fireground

“…A firefighter may be sedentary or even sleeping and, within 2 min, has to be fully geared up (with gear weighing well in excess of 50 pounds), on the truck, and ready for a dire emergency with almost no information about what will be encountered next. As might be expected, there is a high rate of hypertension (Choi, Schnall & Dobson, ) and of PTSD (Kristin, Klimley, Van Hassel, & Stripling, ) among firefighters. Such reactions are buffered by protective factors that include a strong sense of belongingness and social support from co‐workers and family.…”

Psychometric Testing of the Effort-Reward Imbalance–Short Form Among Blue-Collar Workers Employed in Small Industrial Settings in Korea

“…The relationship between ERI and job strain has not been extensively examined. Several studies have reported that job strain (Choi, Schnall, & Dobson, 2016; Whitfield et al, 2016) and ERI (Smith et al, 2016) are related to CVD risk in workers. Furthermore, job stress has been shown to be associated with coronary heart disease in a meta-analysis performed in western countries (Kivimaki et al, 2006) and is emerging as an effective measurement to assess the risk of CVD.…”