Relationship between weight status with sleep health, physical activity and perception of food consumption under stress among firefighters: a pilot study

Abstract

Firefighters are a population group that is subject to stress and poorer sleep quality due to their professional activity. The aim of this cross-sectional pilot study was to explore the relationship between weight status and sleep health, physical activity, perception of dietary consumption, and stress among firefighters. The study was conducted in May 2022. An online questionnaire was developed using Google Forms® and shared through social media for data collection. A total of 30 firefighters participated in the study, with the majority being male (60.0%), over 40 years of age (56.7%), and residing in Lisbon (90.0%). The majority of participants were overweight (63.3%), walked for 4 days per week for about 30 minutes, and spent approximately 4 hours in sedentary activities. The median score for sleep health was 18 out of 30 points. Weight status was only positively correlated with age. These results suggest a possible need for the development of health programs targeting firefighters to improve their lifestyles and occupational health, with further studies needed with a larger sample size. Keywords: weight status; sleep health; physical activity; consumption; firefighters.