TY - JOUR
T1 - Working Inside the Firehouse
T2 - Developing a Participant-Driven Intervention to Enhance Health-Promoting Behaviors
AU - Frattaroli, Shannon
AU - Pollack, Keshia M.
AU - Bailey, Maryanne
AU - Schafer, Heather
AU - Cheskin, Lawrence J.
AU - Holtgrave, David R.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Grant EMW-2007-FP-01040). We are grateful to the 98 focus group participants and their departments who participated in this research and to Ms. Ashela Bean for her assistance with data management.
PY - 2013/5
Y1 - 2013/5
N2 - Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of on-duty death among U.S. firefighters among whom volunteers comprise 71% of the fire service. We sought to understand CVD risk among volunteer firefighters and to develop a CVD intervention based on their input. To accomplish these aims, we conducted a series of focus groups with volunteer firefighters and firefighters who serve with volunteers in Maryland. We conducted two additional focus groups with fire service leaders. Ninety-eight people participated in 15 focus groups. Participants discussed health and wellness, stress and the demanding nature of the volunteer fire service, and the challenges associated with healthy eating. They talked about food in the firehouse and the lack of quick, healthy, satisfying, and affordable food. Several suggestions for interventions to improve the food environment and firefighters' ability to choose and prepare healthy meals and snacks emerged. An intervention reflecting the participants' recommendations resulted. The way volunteer firefighters understand health and wellness and the specific factors that influence their food intake are valuable insights for addressing CVD risks in this population. To our knowledge, this is the first study that systematically brings firefighters into the process of developing an intervention to reduce CVD risk among this high-risk population.
AB - Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of on-duty death among U.S. firefighters among whom volunteers comprise 71% of the fire service. We sought to understand CVD risk among volunteer firefighters and to develop a CVD intervention based on their input. To accomplish these aims, we conducted a series of focus groups with volunteer firefighters and firefighters who serve with volunteers in Maryland. We conducted two additional focus groups with fire service leaders. Ninety-eight people participated in 15 focus groups. Participants discussed health and wellness, stress and the demanding nature of the volunteer fire service, and the challenges associated with healthy eating. They talked about food in the firehouse and the lack of quick, healthy, satisfying, and affordable food. Several suggestions for interventions to improve the food environment and firefighters' ability to choose and prepare healthy meals and snacks emerged. An intervention reflecting the participants' recommendations resulted. The way volunteer firefighters understand health and wellness and the specific factors that influence their food intake are valuable insights for addressing CVD risks in this population. To our knowledge, this is the first study that systematically brings firefighters into the process of developing an intervention to reduce CVD risk among this high-risk population.
KW - cardiovascular disease
KW - focus group
KW - health promotion
KW - nutrition
KW - partnerships/coalitions
KW - program planning and evaluation
KW - worksite safety and health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84876999031&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84876999031&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1524839912461150
DO - 10.1177/1524839912461150
M3 - Article
C2 - 23091304
AN - SCOPUS:84876999031
SN - 1524-8399
VL - 14
SP - 451
EP - 458
JO - Health promotion practice
JF - Health promotion practice
IS - 3
ER -