The Obesity Epidemic and Future Emergency Responders
Open accessAbstract
Emergency responders should be fit to safely perform strenuous duties. In particular, young recruits are expected to be at or near peak career fitness. We studied the prevalence and health associations of excess weight among 370 consecutive emergency responder candidates for fire and ambulance services in Massachusetts. The mean age and BMI of the recruits were 26.3 (3.8) years and 28.5 (4.9) kg/m 2 , respectively. Seventy‐seven percent had BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 , and 33% were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ). After multivariate adjustment, both higher BMI categories and unit increases in BMI were significantly associated with higher blood pressures, worse metabolic profiles, and lower exercise tolerance. Excess weight is highly prevalent and associated with elevated cardiovascular risk among future emergency responders. These findings in a population expected to perform demanding duties supporting public safety merit prompt public health intervention.
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Excess weight is highly prevalent and associated with elevated cardiovascular risk among the future workforce in a population expected to perform physically demanding duties.
“Thus, excess weight is highly prevalent and associated with elevated cardiovascular risk among the future workforce in a population expected to perform physically demanding duties (Tsismenakis et al., 2009).”
From Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing (2024) · cites this paper as Tsismenakis et al., 2009
In a study of 370 emergency responder candidates in America, 77% had a body mass index in excess of 25 kg/m2 and 33% were classified as obese.
“Tsismenakis et al. (2009), they identified in a study of 370 emergency responder candidates in America that 77% had a body mass index in excess of 25kg/m2 and 33% were classified as obese.”
From Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing (2024) · cites this paper as Tsismenakis et al., 2009
Excess weight is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk among firefighters and ambulance personnel.
“and associated with elevated cardiovascular risk”
From Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing (2024) · cites this paper as Tsismenakis, A., Christophi, C., Buress, J., Kinney., Kim. & Kale, S. 2009
Excess weight is highly prevalent among firefighters and ambulance personnel.
“Excess weight is highly prevalent”
From Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing (2024) · cites this paper as Tsismenakis, A., Christophi, C., Buress, J., Kinney., Kim. & Kale, S. 2009
Cites
Chobanian, A. V., Bakris, G. L., Black, H. R., Cushman, W. C., Green, L. A., Izzo, J. L., Jones, D. W., Materson, B. J., Oparil, S., Wright, J. T., et al. (2003) · Hypertension · doi:10.1161/01.hyp.0000107251.49515.c2 · Cited by 13,271 · see citing works
Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense cure
Ebbeling, C. B., Pawlak, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2002) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(02)09678-2 · Cited by 2,980 · see citing works
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Cardiovascular Disease in US Firefighters: A Systematic Review
Soteriades, E. S., Smith, D. L., Tsismenakis, A. J., Baur, D. M., & Kales, S. N. (2011) · Cardiology in Review · doi:10.1097/crd.0b013e318215c105 · Cited by 419 · see citing works
Self-citationHegg-Deloye, S., Brassard, P., Jauvin, N., Prairie, J., Larouche, D., Poirier, P., Tremblay, A., & Corbeil, P. (2014) · Emergency Medicine Journal · doi:10.1136/emermed-2012-201672 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
The health of women in the US fire service
Jahnke, S. A., Poston, W. C., Haddock, C. K., Jitnarin, N., Hyder, M. L., & Horvath, C. (2012) · BMC Women's Health · doi:10.1186/1472-6874-12-39 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Mackinnon, K., Everett, T., Holmes, L., Smith, E., & Mills, B. (2020) · Australasian Journal of Paramedicine · doi:10.33151/ajp.17.764 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
McKeon, G., Steel, Z., Wells, R., Newby, J., Hadzi-Pavlovic, D., Vancampfort, D., & Rosenbaum, S. (2021) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/23432 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing
Betts, C., Stoneley, A., Anderson, J., & Sutton, C. (2024) · International Journal of Paramedicine · doi:10.56068/mnrg8307 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Tsismenakis, A. J., Christophi, C. A., Burress, J. W., Kinney, A. M., Kim, M., & Kales, S. N.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- Cambridge Health Alliance (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kales, Stefanos N.
- Venue
- Obesity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-08
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1648-1650
- ISSN
- 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-739X
- OpenAlex
- W1992105097
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 27.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Performance
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- first responders, body mass index, overweight prevalence, blood pressure, metabolic profile, exercise tolerance, cardiovascular risk
- MeSH terms
- Workforce, Adult, Cardiovascular Diseases, Disease Outbreaks, Emergency Medical Technicians, Emergency Medicine, Female, Humans, Male, Massachusetts, Obesity, Public Health, Regression Analysis, Exercise, Body Mass Index, Prevalence, Odds Ratio
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