Prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in volunteer firefighters.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and frequency of risk screening in volunteer firefighters.


METHODS
Self-reported data were obtained from 230 volunteer firefighters.


RESULTS
Most participants were either overweight (35%) or obese (41%) and did not know either their blood lipid (86%) or blood pressure (47%) values. Only 35% reported having had a blood lipid assessment in the past year, whereas 39% had never done so; 93% had had their blood pressure assessed in the past year and only 2% had never done so. Thirty percent reported currently using tobacco.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and tobacco use among these volunteer firefighters was higher than that found in the general population. Many firefighters were either not aware of their risk factors for CVD or had been inadequately screened for this risk. However, the firefighters who had had recent blood pressure and lipid assessments did not have markedly elevated values. Thus, CVD risk in volunteer firefighters may be reduced through an increased awareness of risk factors via timely risk factor assessment.
Yoo
Hye Lim
HL
Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, USA.
Franke
Warren D
WD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014838:Volunteers; D055815:Young Adult