title: Exploring occupational and health behavioral causes of firefighter obesity: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Firefighters, as an occupational group, have one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity. A qualitative study investigated occupational and health behavioral determinants of obesity among firefighters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four focus groups were conducted with firefighters of every rank as Phase I of the FORWARD study which was designed to assess health behavioral and occupational characteristics related to obesity in firefighters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis revealed five main themes of central importance to firefighters: (1) fire station eating culture; (2) night calls and sleep interruption; (3) supervisor leadership and physical fitness; (4) sedentary work; and (5) age and generational influences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed a strong interrelationship between occupational and health behavioral causes of obesity in firefighters. The relevance of these qualitative findings are discussed along with the implications for future obesity interventions with firefighters.
authors: Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA. mdobson@uci.edu
authors: Marnie
authors: M
authors: Dobson
authors: BongKyoo
authors: B
authors: Choi
authors: Peter L
authors: PL
authors: Schnall
authors: Erin
authors: E
authors: Wigger
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Garcia-Rivas
authors: Leslie
authors: L
authors: Israel
authors: Dean B
authors: DB
authors: Baker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D061388:Firefighters / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D015995:Prevalence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014481:United States