Association of the Length of Service of 24/48 Firefighters with the Quality of Their Diet and Selected Anthropometric Parameters

The aim of the study was to examine the association of lengths of service (LS) <= 10 years and >10 years in 24/48 shifts with the quality of the observed diet based on the Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF9.3) and selected anthropometric parameters of 130 firefighters of the State Fire Service (SFS) in Wroclaw, Poland. The study also analysed the individual components of the men's diets required to calculate the NRF9.3 index in both seniority groups. Men with LS > 10 years had statistically significant higher body weight (89.00 kg vs. 81.59 kg), body-fat level (22.80 kg vs. 17.95 kg), waist circumference (96.50 cm vs. 89.00 cm), body-fat percentage (21.94 +/- 4.06% vs. 25.00 +/- 5.45%), body mass index (BMI) (28.10 kg/m(2) vs. 25.40 kg/m(2)) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) (0.84 0.92 vs. 0.84), compared to the LF <= 10 years group. In contrast, the quality of the men's dietary adherence, based on the calculated NRF9.3 index, did not differ between the study groups, and was 662.50 +/- 103.1 and 664.78 for the LS <= 10 years and LS > 10 years groups, respectively. Based on a statistical analysis using the NRF9.3 diet quality index by tertile (NRF9.3-C), a leading and statistically significant association of LS > 10 years vs. <= 10 years was observed as to most of the anthropometric parameters studied. In contrast, the association of participants' diet quality, as assessed by the NRF9.3 index value, was insignificant for all anthropometric parameters studied.

Automated summary

This study examined the association between lengths of service and diet quality among firefighters. It found that firefighters with more than 10 years of service had higher body weight, body fat levels, waist circumference, and other anthropometric parameters compared to those with less than 10 years of service. However, there was no significant difference in diet quality between the two groups.