A Qualitative Study Exploring Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Firefighters.

OBJECTIVE: Firefighters are at increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), yet rates of CRC screening are low among this occupational group. This study examines perceived risks, barriers, and facilitators to CRC screening. METHODS: Three semistructured focus group discussions were conducted by investigators in Tucson, AZ. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and themes in the data. RESULTS: Three groups of firefighters (8 male (57%); 6 female (43%) mean age 50.4 ( SD = 12.2) years) voluntarily participated in the CRC discussions. Four major themes were examined: (1) perceptions of risk for CRC, (2) barriers to cancer screening, (3) facilitators to getting cancer screening, and (4) misinformation about CRC and screening. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate unique perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs among firefighters. Results from this study will inform the adaptation of a tailored CRC screening intervention for firefighters.

Effect of a Nutrition Intervention on Mediterranean Diet Adherence Among Firefighters: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: US firefighters are a working population at risk of chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This risk may be mitigated by a healthy diet. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a Mediterranean nutrition intervention using a behavioral/environmental approach (firefighter/fire station/home) at the individual participant level. Design, Setting, and Participants: This 12-month cluster randomized clinical trial included US career firefighters from fire stations and homes within 2 Indiana fire departments. Participants were randomized by fire station to either Mediterranean diet or control (usual care). The study was conducted from October 2016 to December 2019, and data were analyzed in November 2022. Intervention: For the first 12 months of the study, firefighters located at fire stations randomized to the intervention group were provided with access to supermarket discounts and free samples of Mediterranean diet foods, online nutrition education platforms, email announcements and reminders, family and peer education and support, and chef demonstrations. Firefighters in fire stations allocated to the control group received no intervention and were instructed to follow their usual diet. Main Outcomes and Measures: Change in dietary habits at 12 months as measured by a modified Mediterranean diet score (range, 0 to 51 points) at baseline and 6-month and 12-month follow-up. Cardiometabolic parameters were secondary outcomes. Results: Of 485 included firefighters, 458 (94.4%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 47 (7.5) years. A total of 241 firefighters (27 fire stations) were randomized to the Mediterranean nutrition intervention, and 244 (25 fire stations) were randomized to usual diet. Outcomes were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models for modified Mediterranean diet score at 6 months (n = 336) and 12 months (n = 260), adjusting for baseline age, sex, race and ethnicity, fire department, physical activity, and waist circumference. In the intervention group compared with the control group, the modified Mediterranean diet score significantly increased by 2.01 points (95% CI, 0.62-3.40; P = .005) at 6 months and by 2.67 points (95% CI, 1.14-4.20; P = .001) at 12 months. Among secondary outcomes, changes in cardiometabolic risk factors were not statistically significant at 1 year. Results from analyses with multilevel multiple imputation for missingness were similar. Conclusions and Relevance: In this Mediterranean nutrition intervention of multicomponent behavioral/environmental changes, career firefighters had increased adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02941757.

Barriers to Weight Management Among Overweight and Obese Firefighters.

OBJECTIVE: To examine barriers to weight management among firefighters. METHODS: Health risk data collected on 2373 overweight firefighters were used for this cross-sectional study. Barriers to weight management were the dependent variables and demographic characteristics, readiness for change, and health risk factors were the correlates in the multivariate-adjusted logistic models. RESULTS: Overweight firefighters who were ready to begin a weight management program were more likely to identify "lack of knowledge about weight management," "lack of access to exercise opportunities," and "eating helps me cope with stress" and report a greater number of barriers toward weight management. Older firefighters were less likely to identify or report one or more barriers to weight management. CONCLUSION: Understanding barriers, readiness for change, and age may be useful in planning interventions to help firefighters better manage their weight.

Excess mortality among Indiana firefighters, 1985-2013.

BACKGROUND: Firefighters are exposed to toxic agents increasing their risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease. We examined the odds of cancer and cardiovascular mortality of firefighters relative to a matched group of non-firefighters from the general population. METHODS: Firefighter death records were matched to four non-firefighter death records on age at time of death, sex, race, ethnicity, and year of death. Exact odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and P-values were calculated using conditional logistic regression to compare groups. RESULTS: The odds of death due to malignant cancers was significantly higher for firefighters than non-firefighters (OR: 1.19; 95%CI 1.08, 1.30). There was no difference in the odds of death for cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests the importance of early and effective cancer prevention strategies among firefighters including worksite health promotion programs and incumbent physical activity evaluation.

Rationale and design of feeding America's bravest: Mediterranean diet-based intervention to change firefighters' eating habits and improve cardiovascular risk profiles.

Among US firefighters, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of on-duty death. Poor diet contributes to this burden, but effective strategies to encourage healthy eating in the fire service are not established. "Feeding America's Bravest" motivates firefighters and their families to modify their food culture and reduce cardiometabolic risk profiles by adopting Mediterranean diet principles. Feeding America's Bravest is a cluster-randomized, controlled trial within the 44 stations of the Indianapolis Fire Department, including about 1000 firefighters. It compares a Mediterranean Diet Nutritional Intervention (MDNI) (group 1) vs. usual care (group 2) for 12months; followed by 12months of self-sustained continuation phase in the group 1 and cross-over to Mediterranean Diet Nutritional Intervention in group 2. Group 2 will receive the MDNI for 6months to test the efficacy of a shorter intervention followed by 6months of self-sustained phase. The intervention includes behavioral and environmental components. The primary outcome is 12-month change in Mediterranean diet score comparing group 1 vs. group 2; we will also assess 12- and 24-month change in group 1, and 6- and 12-month change in group 2, from baseline. Secondary outcomes are changes in body weight, body composition and other cardiometabolic risk markers; and correlations between self-reported dietary habits and biomarkers of dietary adherence. This innovative trial tests a novel worksite approach to introduce Mediterranean diet among US firefighters, through multi-pronged MDNI combining evidence-based behavior change strategies with economic incentives, family and peer support and environmental changes, informing recommendations for the US fire service and potentially other similar workforces. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02941757.

Impact of the life skills training curriculum on middle school students tobacco use in Marion County, Indiana, 1997-2000.

Evaluation of school-based tobacco prevention and control programs have yielded mixed results. This study assessed the impact of the Life Skills Training curriculum on Marion County, Ind., middle school students' knowledge, attitudes, and ability to make good lifestyle decisions. From 1997 to 2000, students in grades six to eight in the study schools received the Life Skills Training curriculum. Survey data (n = 1,598) were used to compare tobacco use behavior, attitudes, and knowledge of those exposed with those not exposed to the program. Of the students surveyed, 12.5% were currently smoking. There were significantly fewer current smokers, and more students exposed to the program indicated they intended to stay smoke-free. Fewer of those participating in the program "hung out" with smokers and more said they could easily refuse a cigarette if offered one. Students completing the Life Skills Training curriculum were more knowledgeable about the health effects of smoking. Program effects were different for male and female students as well as for White and Black students.

The cost effectiveness of 5 interventions to increase mammography adherence in a managed care population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost effectiveness of 5 combinations of strategies for increasing adherence to mammography recommendations in a population of women between the ages of 50 and 85 years enrolled in a large midwestern health maintenance organization. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized control trial comparing interventions believed to increase mammography adherence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Intervention strategies included 5 combinations of physician recommendation, telephone, and in-person counseling. A total of 652 participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 intervention groups and 628 (95.9%) were available at 6-month follow-up. A logistic regression model with adherence as the dependent variable and group as the independent variable was used to test for significant differences between groups. A ratio of cost to improvement in mammogram adherence evaluated the cost effectiveness at 6 months. RESULTS: All 5 interventions resulted in significantly higher rates of adherence compared to no intervention. However, when considering costs, only 1 emerged as the superior strategy for the overall study population. In-person counseling was the most cost-effective strategy overall, followed closely by in-person counseling and physician's letter intervention. For women contemplating mammography, the telephone contact and physician's letter combination was the most cost-effective intervention. For women not contemplating mammography, the physician's letter was superior. The physician's letter worked best with women who had previous mammograms. For women with no mammogram history, the in-person counseling and physician's letter combination was clearly superior. CONCLUSIONS: The cost effectiveness of mammography screening interventions varies based on women's prior history of mammograms and their future intent. Further, managed care organization member characteristics can be used to determine the most cost-effective mammography screening intervention based on individual readiness.