Weight management program for first responders: Feasibility study and lessons learned

Jerome, Gerald J.; Lisman, Peter; Dalcin, Arlene; Clark, Austin

doi:10.3233/wor-193069

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…A study of COs found that healthy nutrition and physical activity may help reduce BMI despite increased overtime 133 . Finally, significant weight loss was observed during a pilot program for FFs using commercially‐available apps, a student coach‐in‐training, and evidence‐based recommendations 76 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Allison

Tiesman

Wong

et al. 2022

American J Industrial Med

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Background The public safety sector includes law enforcement officers (LEO), corrections officers (CO), firefighter service (FF), wildland firefighting (WFF), and emergency medical services (EMS), as defined in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Across these occupations, shiftwork, long‐duration shifts, and excessive overtime are common. Our objective was to identify research gaps related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue among these workers. Methods We used a scoping review study design that included searches of MEDLINE, Embase, CAB Abstracts, Global Health, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, Agricultural and Environmental Science Collection, ProQuest Central, Cochrane Library, Safety Lit, Homeland Security Digital Library, and Sociological Abstracts using a range of occupational search terms and terms related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue. Results Out of 3415 articles returned from our database search, 202 met all inclusion criteria. Six common outcomes related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue emerged: sleep, fatigue, work performance, injury, psychosocial stress, and chronic disease. Nearly two‐thirds (59%, n = 120) of the studies were observational, of which 64% (n = 77) were cross sectional and 9% were (n = 11) longitudinal; 14% (n = 30) of the studies were reviews; and 19% (n = 39) were experimental or quasi‐experimental studies. Only 25 of the 202 articles described mitigation strategies or interventions. FFs, LEOs, EMS, and WFFs were the most studied, followed by COs. Conclusions In general, more longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to enrich the knowledge base on the consequences of long working hours, poor sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector. Few experimental studies have tested novel approaches to fatigue mitigation in diverse sectors of public safety. This gap in research limits the decisions that may be made by employers to address fatigue as a threat to public‐safety worker health and safety.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Allison

Tiesman

Wong

et al. 2022

American J Industrial Med

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“…Only a subgroup of participants provided feedback through questionnaires, however this could potentially be of use for further program development. Among the points raised by the participants were privacy concerns, which is commonly reported in such populations [ 22 , 29 ] and should be included in future developments. Specifically, users were concerned about information they provided and that might be fed back to line managers and employers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the future, stepwise approaches could be implemented, including screening for at-risk participants, who will then be offered further interventions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Privacy concerns seem to be key in the target population [ 22 , 29 ], and participants often requested that a web-based intervention should be independent from their employer. While COAST was in fact developed, run, and analyzed entirely independently from the employer, the program and study was announced and offered to the participants through their institutional email.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participants chose an anonymous username, as the privacy of e-mental health interventions had been previously raised as an important issue pertaining first-responder interventions [ 22 ]. They were also asked to complete self-report questionnaires that were sent via email and could be completed on the internet.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is evidence for the efficacy of e-mental health approaches for these populations in other circumstances. A blended e-mental health intervention to manage weight was effective in a sample of first responders and included interventions on sleep and psychological symptoms [ 22 ]. Another 3-month web-based intervention to reduce work-related fatigue and improve work function resulted in a small positive effect on overall stress in health care workers [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multimodule Web-Based COVID-19 Anxiety and Stress Resilience Training (COAST): Single-Cohort Feasibility Study With First Responders

Heyen¹,

Weigl²,

Müller³

et al. 2021

JMIR Form Res

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Background Since the emergence of COVID-19, health care workers and first responders have been at a high risk for mental health symptoms owing to their exposure to the virus and increased work stress during the pandemic. Although interventions exist to address mental health issues following exposure to disasters, emergencies, and humanitarian crises, considerably less is known about web-based unguided interventions to help mitigate the negative impacts of such events. Additionally, in contexts in which emergencies reduce access to in-person care, remote forms of support are critical, yet there are limited studies on the use of such interventions. Evidence-based, easy-to-use, scalable interventions are direly needed for this population. Objective This study aimed to develop and test the feasibility of an unguided electronic mental health program, COVID-19 Anxiety and Stress Resilience Training (COAST), tailored to first responders and health care personnel, based on scientific evidence and empirically based techniques. Methods We developed COVID-19–specific training modules focusing on several domains that are previously reported as key to resilience and stress recovery: self-efficacy, mindfulness, sleep quality, and positive thinking. The program was made available to 702 first responders between May and August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic, work-, and COVID-19–related information was collected, and psychometric questionnaires were completed. We examined user acceptance and user activity, including module choice and participant feedback. Results In total, 52 of 702 (7%) first responders to whom we reached out used the program at least once. COAST use was independent of age, sex, or baseline levels of self-efficacy, mindful awareness, sleep quality, and positive thinking (for all, P>.39). First responders who had tested positive and those who had been quarantined were more likely to engage in the program. A click count analysis per module showed that participants used the self-efficacy and mindfulness modules most often, with 382 and 122 clicks, respectively, over 15 weeks. Overall, first responders expressed satisfaction with the program. Conclusions Engagement of first responders in the multimodule web-based COAST program was feasible and the first responder cohort expressed overall satisfaction with the program. Those in more difficult circumstances, including those in quarantine and those who tested positive, may be more likely to engage in such programs. Further controlled studies could pave the way for efficacy studies and the development of additional modules, including just-in-time interventions or blended interventions combining individual use of an unguided self-help intervention, such as COAST, with subsequent individual psychotherapy for those who continue to experience stress and psychological symptoms.

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The Relationship Between Dietary Intake and Dietary-Focused Lifestyle Interventions on Risk Factors Associated with Cardiovascular Disease in Firefighters

2022

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Weight management program for first responders: Feasibility study and lessons learned

Cited by 7 publications

References 37 publications

Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Multimodule Web-Based COVID-19 Anxiety and Stress Resilience Training (COAST): Single-Cohort Feasibility Study With First Responders

The Relationship Between Dietary Intake and Dietary-Focused Lifestyle Interventions on Risk Factors Associated with Cardiovascular Disease in Firefighters

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