Using Focus Groups to Identify Nutrition Education Needs and Implementation Strategies for the Wildland Firefighter.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study are to describe the current state, identify topics of importance, and suggest implementation strategies for tailored nutrition education for the WLFFs. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted and survey data was collected to gather qualitative and quantitative data from a sample of WLFFs. Constant comparative strategy was used to generate themes from transcripts. RESULTS: Wildland firefighters showed interest in early-introduced, multimodal, and specific nutrition education tailored to the demands of the WLFF. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings provide nutrition topics of interest and importance to WLFFs and may be used to develop educational materials.

Nutrient Intake of Wildland Firefighters During Arduous Wildfire Suppression: Macronutrient and Micronutrient Consumption.

Wildland firefighters (WLFFs) perform in adverse environments making rapid adjustments to dietary needs. The National Mobile Food Services (NMFS) contract details WLFF dietary provisions on wildfire incidents. OBJECTIVE: Determine the nutrient content of food and drink provided to and consumed by WLFFs under the NMFS contract. METHODS: Individual (n = 122) dietary provisions and consumption was recorded during 1 workday. Nutritional analysis of items provided was compared with consumption and the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). RESULTS: WLFFs consumed significantly (P < 0.05) fewer macronutrients than provided for calories, protein, and fat. Provided and consumed micronutrients were below the RDA for vitamins D and E, magnesium, and manganese. CONCLUSION: Most dietary recommendations were met by NMFS provisions. Next steps include WLFF nutrition education to improve consumption and contract revisions to meet micronutrient recommendations.