Metabolic syndrome and other cardiovascular risk factors among police officers (original) (raw)

Health disparities in police officers: comparisons to the U.S. general population

International journal of emergency mental health, 2011

Police officers have one of the poorest cardiovascular disease (C'D) health profiles of any occupation. The goal of this study was to determine if police officers in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) Study (between 2004 and 2009) had a more adverse CV profile than the general US. employed population. Nearly one-half (46.9%) of the officers worked a non-day shift compared to 9% of U.S. workers. The percent of officers with depression was nearly double (12.0% vs. 6.8%) and officers were nearly four times more likely to sleep less than six hours in a 24-hour period than the general population (33.0% vs. 8.0%). A higher percentage of officers were obese (40.5% vs. 32.1%), had the metabolic syndrome (26.7% vs. 18.7%), and had higher mean serum total cholesterol levels (200.8 mg/dL vs. 193.2 mg/dL) than the comparison employed populations. In addition to having higher levels of traditional CVD risk factors, police officers had higher levels of non-traditi...

A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in police personnel of Karimnagar mandal

Perspectives in Medical Research, 2023

Introduction: Many studies showed that police officers complained about physical and mental health issues due to job stress. These work stresses lead to adopting unhealthy lifestyles and habits including the harmful use of alcohol and tobacco use which leads to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and other NCDs. Methods: This cross-sectional study included all male police personnel of all cadres from nine police stations of Karimnagar Mandal. WHO STEPS NCD survey questionnaires were used to collect basic soci-demographic information, clinical history, stress, and anthropometry for measurements of CVD risk factors. Result: 253 police personnel with a mean age of 41.09 years enrolled from all cadres. 152 (60%) of police personnel had multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Hypercholesterolemia (37.2%) followed by a sedentary lifestyle (30.8%), and diabetes mellitus (14.6%) were important findings in this study. This study has also revealed an important link between preceding conditions ...

Deciphering the health profile of police personnel in the Jaipur Commissionerate

International journal of community medicine and public health/International journall of community medicine and public health, 2024

Background: Since its founding, the police force has required its employees to operate in hazardous and stressful conditions, and today's force is exposed to physically demanding tasks, irregular working hours, high levels of stress, and encounters with dangerous situations. Dealing with some of society's most difficult social problems. It is a line of work in which employees may be exposed to traumatic situations in which their health and well-being are directly jeopardised. Unhealthy lifestyles and demanding work conditions predispose the police force to a variety of noncommunicable as well as communicable diseases. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2018 and November 2020 on a representative sample of 4263 across various ranks and units posted in the jurisdiction area of the Jaipur commissionerate. Results: The age group of the study was from 35 to 60 years of age, with a mean age of 50 years. Out of the total sample, the response rate was 96%. The average height and weight were 173.09 cm and 77.48 kg, respectively. The basal metabolic index (BMI) was 25.9 on average. Conclusions: By improving the overall well-being of police officers, not only can their quality of life be enhanced, but their effectiveness in ensuring public safety and maintaining law and order can also be optimised.

Health Profile of Mumbai Police Personnel: A Cross Sectional Study

Indian journal of forensic and community medicine, 2015

Introduction:The police as one of the visible important component governance and control have always been under intense scrutiny and hence vulnerable to wide spread criticism. Growing unemployment, increasing violence and rising expectations of the people have caused serious challenges before police. They work routinely for 12 hours or more often goes a couple of days nonstop at police station with a catnap in between. The truth is that many policemen live lives of fatigue and despair so the objective of present study was to find health status of Mumbai police. Aim and Objective: To study health profile of Mumbai Police Material Methods: The present study was conducted in Mumbai district selected police stations. A multistage and systematic random sampling technique was used to represent a total of 276 policemen out of 40,000 police population. Results: We found 40-50 age groups predominant among policemen. Maximum policemen were married (91%). Educational qualification in policemen...

A Cross Sectional Study on Assessment of Health Profile of Policemen Serving at Ahmadabad City, Gujarat

Healthline, 2021

Introduction: Policemen are one of the important cadres for positive pace of development of any nation. They can work optimally if, they are physically and mentally fit. Objective: To assess socio-demographic and health profile, determinants of ill health and their correlates with work profile of male policemen at Ahmedabad city. Method: Study was carried out at Police headquarters, Ahmedabad where policemen from all over district reported for work. Calculated sample size was 416. List of all policemen was obtained, participants were selected through simple random sampling, and personal interview was carried out at Police Headquarters of the city. Result: The mean age of study participants was 42.50+9.32 years. In context to BMI,total75.3% policemen were either overweight or obese. Policemen with tobacco addiction were 186(45%).Of total, 11.29% and 7.69% were hypertensive and diabetics respectively. Around three-fourth (74%) policemen complained of perceived stress. Conclusion: Two ...

Relationship of Cardiovascular Disease to Stress and Vital Exhaustion in an Urban, Midwestern Police Department

AAOHN Journal, 2011

This study explored risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among 336 officers of a Midwestern police force. Instruments used included the Perceived Stress Scale, the Maastr icht Questionnaire (measuring vital exhaustion), and a general Health Risk Appraisal. Rates of CVD, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia were 3%, 28%, and 43%, respectively. The relative risk of hypercholesterolemia for male officers , compared to female officers , was 1.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10 to 3.56). The officers' average body mass index was 28.6 (SO = 4.9), with 80% being overweight or obese. The average vital exhaustion score was higher for female officers than male officers (p < .05). Bivariate relationships of CVD with perceived stress, vital exhaustion, and age were statistically significant (p < .05). When controlling for age, odds ratios were 1.20 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.39; P < .05) for perceived stress and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.53; P < .01) for vital exhaustion. P olice officers experience increased risk of morbidity from cardiovascular disease (CVD), a phenomenon that has been studied for three decades. Compared to their civilian peers in the general population, police officers are up to 1.7 times more likely to develop CVD (Franke, Collins, & Hinz, 1998; Ramey, Downing, & Franke, 2(09), with an average of 38% of police officers having hypertension and 33% having hypercholesterol-ABOUTTHE AUTHORS

Associations between police officer stress and the metabolic syndrome

International journal of emergency mental health, 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of police officer stress with metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) and its individual components. Participants included 288 men and 102 women from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) Study. Police stress was measured using the Spielberger police stress survey. MetSyn was defined using 2005 guidelines. Results were stratified by gender ANCOVA was used to describe differences in number of MetSyn components across police stress categories after adjusting for age and smoking status. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for having each MetSyn component by increased police stress levels. The multivariate-adjusted number of MetSyn components increased significantly in women across tertiles of the three perceived stress subscales, and administrative and organizational pressure and lack of support indices for the previous month. No association was found among male officers. Abdominal obesity and redu...

The Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) Pilot Study: Methods and Participant Characteristics

Annals of Epidemiology, 2006

PURPOSE: The Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study is one of the first population-based studies to integrate psychological, physiological, and subclinical measures of stress, disease, and mental dysfunction. This pilot study was undertaken to establish a methodology and descriptive results for a larger police study. METHODS: A stratified sample of 100 officers was randomly selected from the Buffalo, NY Police Department. Salivary cortisol served as a stress biomarker. Flow mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were performed with ultrasound. Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) and anthropometric measures assessed body composition. Self-report measures of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were obtained. RESULTS: Recruitment attained for the study was 100%. Seventy-five percent showed a cortisol increase upon awakening, 90% a negative diurnal slope, and 77% an increased cortisol response after a high protein lunch challenge. Dexamethasone suppression was evident. FMD showed an increase in mean brachial artery diameter of 3.2% in men and 3.9% in women, and mean IMT was lower (male Z 0.67 mm; female Z 0.62 mm) compared to populations of similar age. For males, the mean body-mass index (BMI) was 29.8 kg/ m 2 and total body fat 23.4%. For females, the mean BMI was 26.7 kg/m 2 and total body fat 31.5%. For all officers, 16% met criteria for depression; 36% reported elevated PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to populations of similar age, police officers had slightly lower FMD, lower carotid IMT, elevated BMI, and higher reported rates of depression and PTSD. Standardized physiological and psychological data collection and descriptive results confirmed that the methodology of the study is feasible in a working police population.

Quality of life, health conditions and life style of civil police officers

Revista Gaúcha de Enfermagem

Objectives: Evaluate the relation between quality of life, health conditions and life style of Civil Police Officers in Porto Alegre/RS. Method: Transversal study with 237 police officers that answered a questionnaire containing socio-occupational information, life style, health conditions and the instrument World Health Quality of Life (WHOQOL-bref). The data was collected in 2018 and submitted to statistical analysis. Results: Broad domain of quality of life showed higher rates in non-hypertensive subjects (p=0,002), without cardiovascular alterations (p=0,001), non-smokers (p=0,003), no alcohol ingestion (p=0,036), regular physical activity (p<0,001), healthy eating (p<0,001), no use of medication (p=0,028), able to have time to rest (p=0,049). Correlated with sleeping, weight, abdominal and hip circumference (p<0.01). Conclusion: Chronic diseases, use of medication and unhealthy lifestyle are related to worsening health-related quality of life.

A Study on Socio-Demographic Profile and Health Profile of Traffic Police Personnel of Ahmedabad City, Gujarat, India

International Journal of Health Sciences and Research, 2015

Background: The work environment constitutes an important part of man's total environment, so health to a large extent is affected by work conditions. Traffic policemen are key persons in maintaining day to day traffic but their health and safety are rarely taken care of and it is the matter of concern. Aims: 1.To study the Socio-demographic profile of the traffic policemen. 2. To study the general health profile of the same. Setting and Design: It was a cross-sectional study in Ahmedabad city, Gujarat Materials and Methods: A structured, predesigned and pretested proforma was used to interview traffic policemen in Ahmedabad city with prior permission. After pilot study, 482 traffic police personnel distributed in 33 traffic booths were studied. Prior verbal and written consent was taken during study. Information was collected regarding their socio-demographic profile, job-profile, physical health profile, job related stress, what kind of problems faced by them, etc. Results: The study included 482 individuals including men were 98.5% and women were 1.5%. All were literate with 95% were Hindu. 56% had job experience about 3-6 years. 3% had varicose vein, 5% had color blindness, 12% had ear problems, 45% had eye problems, 32% had respiratory problems, 62% had joint problems, 41% had gastric problems, and 16% had disturbed sleep due to various reasons. Conclusion: The study has thrown light on health status of traffic police personnel who are suffering from many health problems which can be easily handled by simple interventions like periodic health checkups and personal care.