Evaluating the Effect of Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Anti-Müllerian Hormone Levels Among Women Firefighters.

To assess whether depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. We used data from a sample of women firefighters from the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study. Participant demographics, reproductive history, and self-reported clinical diagnosis of anxiety, depression, and PTSD were collected with serum for AMH analysis at enrollment.

Examination of Stress Among Recruit and Incumbent Women Firefighters.

Background: Firefighting is risky and impacts the mental and physical health of personnel. While most research focuses on men firefighters, recent work has highlighted mental health concerns among women including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social support is a known protective factor for mental health; however, women may be excluded from the supportive peer network of the firehouse.

Firefighter- and Fire Department-Level Barriers and Promoters of Physical Activity and Fitness Among Volunteer Firefighters: A Qualitative Study Using Semistructured Interviews.

Objective: To describe volunteer firefighters' perspectives on how firefighter- and fire department-level factors influence their physical activity and fitness.

Methods: Firefighters (n = 28) were interviewed, stratified by their years of firefighting, using an interview guide. Thematic analysis and systematic coding were used to analyze the interview transcripts.

Daily variation in sleepiness among firefighters while working the 24/48 and 48/96 shift schedules.

Objective: To assess the daily relationship between prior-night total sleep time (TST) and next-day, afternoon sleep propensity among firefighters operating from two popular fire department shift schedules.

Methods: Dataset included 22 firefighters (24/48 shift schedule) and 20 firefighters (48/96 shift schedule). Daily TST was assessed using actigraphy and daily sleep propensity was assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), completed every afternoon.

Addressing the need for individual-level exposure monitoring for firefighters using silicone samplers.

Background: Firefighters are occupationally exposed to hazardous chemical mixtures. Silicone passive sampling devices capture unique exposures over time with minimal impact to the participant and allow for the analysis of a broad chemical space.

Objective: Silicone dog tags were worn by firefighters while on- and off-duty to measure individual exposures, identify potential occupational exposures, and assess their relation to occupational variables including fire response frequency, rank, and years as a firefighter.

Meta-Analysis of Incidence and Mortality of Firefighter Cancer: An Update on Emerging Science.

Background: Firefighters are faced with a broad range of toxic exposures during their work, including known and suspected carcinogens. The current study is an update to the previously published meta-analysis of cancer risk among firefighters by Soteriades and colleagues, and focuses on studies published from 2008 to 2020.

Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted, including electronic databases and bibliographies of recently published papers.

Evaluation of the Implementation of the NFFF Stress First Aid Intervention in Career Fire Departments: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Firefighting is inherently dangerous, though recently concerns have shifted from traditional fireground injuries (burns and asphyxiation) to a focus on mental and behavioral health. Although firefighters are remarkably resilient, research suggests many suffer negative psychological consequences from repeated exposures to trauma. While the Stress First Aid (SFA) model has gained increased attention and adoption among fire departments as a model for behavioral health training, it has not been formally evaluated.

Excretion of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and AhR activation in breastmilk among firefighters.

Excretion of toxicants accumulated from firefighter exposures through breastmilk represents a potential hazard. We investigated if firefighting exposures could increase the concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation in excreted breastmilk. Firefighters and non-firefighters collected breastmilk samples prior to any firefighting responses (baseline) and at 2, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours after a structural fire (firefighters only).

Norms about Alcohol Use among US Firefighters.

Background: Problem drinking is a perennial concern in the US fire service. A large literature has documented the importance of addressing alcohol norms in intervention research. The purpose of this study was to explore alcohol norms in a national cohort of firefighters (FFs) to inform intervention development in this occupational group.

Firefighter occupational factors and the risk of preterm birth: results from a survey of women firefighters in the USA.

Objectives: Previous research has suggested that women firefighters may have a greater risk of adverse reproductive outcomes compared with non-firefighting women. In this study, we investigated the association between firefighter occupational factors and risk of preterm birth.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis of US firefighters surveyed in 2017 compared preterm birth among firefighters to non-firefighters using age-at-pregnancy-standardised prevalence ratios.

Comparisons of Baseline Obesity Prevalence and Its Association with Perceived Health and Physical Performance in Military Officers.

Increasing obesity rates among USA military members vary by age, pay grade, and measurement methods and threaten force fitness and readiness. Limited research has directly measured obesity among officers; those enrolled in graduate school at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) face additional demands and increased obesity risk. This study compared obesity measurements and performance on the Army Physical Fitness test and self-rated health for a sample of mostly CGSC officers.

Birth defects associated with paternal firefighting in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Background: Few studies have evaluated birth defects among children of firefighters. We investigated associations between birth defects and paternal work as a firefighter compared to work in non-firefighting and police officer occupations.

Methods: We analyzed 1997-2011 data from the multi-site case-control National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Perspectives on Engagement With Youth Physical Activity Opportunities in Low-Income, African American, Urban Neighborhoods.

Purpose: To identify and describe factors related to low-income, African American youth's participation in neighborhood youth physical activity opportunities (YPAO).

Approach: Formative research.

Setting: Face-to-face focus groups in New Castle County, Delaware.

Occupational factors and miscarriages in the US fire service: a cross-sectional analysis of women firefighters.

Background: Evidence from previous studies suggests that women firefighters have greater risk of some adverse reproductive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether women firefighters had greater risk of miscarriage compared to non-firefighters and whether there were occupational factors associated with risk of miscarriage among firefighters.

Methods: We studied pregnancies in the United States fire service using data from the Health and Wellness of Women Firefighters Study (n = 3181).

Prevalence and predictors of obesity among women in the fire service.

Objectives: Firefighter health has received a great deal of increased attention over the past decade, but most work has been specific to men in the fire service due to small numbers of women, likely due to challenges with recruitment and retention of women in the fire service. While findings suggest men in the fire service struggle with high rates of overweight and obesity due to a number of occupational challenges, limited data are available on large samples of women firefighters.

Methods: Using snowball sampling techniques, we conducted an online survey of both career (N=2,398) and volunteer (N=781) women firefighters.

Firefighter exposures to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals measured by military-style silicone dog tags.

Studies suggest that exposure to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals (pEDCs) may contribute to adverse health outcomes, but pEDC exposures among firefighters have not been fully characterized. Previously, we demonstrated the military-style silicone dog tag as a personal passive sampling device for assessing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures among structural firefighters. This follow-up analysis examined the pEDC exposures based on department call volume, duty shift, and questionnaire variables.

A qualitative study to assess perceptions, barriers, and motivators supporting smokeless tobacco cessation in the US fire service.

While firefighters currently have low smoking rates, rates of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among this population are remarkably high and substantially greater than similar occupational groups, and the general population. This study explored determinants associated with SLT use, barriers to cessation, and motivators for SLT cessation in the fire service. Key informant interviews were conducted in 23 career firefighters who were current (n = 14) and former (n = 9) SLT users from across the U.

Development and beta test of a smokeless tobacco cessation program for firefighters.

Introduction: The prevalence of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among firefighters is substantially higher than the general population and similar occupational groups. Despite the significant health risks associated with SLT and its impact on occupational readiness, there are no occupationally-tailored SLT education or treatment programs for the fire service. The purpose of this study was to beta test QUIT SPIT!, a self-help SLT cessation program that is culturally tailored for the US fire service and firefighters who are interested in quitting.

Cancer Perceptions Among Smokeless Tobacco Users: A Qualitative Study of US Firefighters.

Background: Prevalence rates of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among firefighters are remarkably high and substantially higher than similar occupational groups and the general U.S. population.

Discovery of firefighter chemical exposures using military-style silicone dog tags.

Occupational chemical hazards in the fire service are hypothesized to play a role in increased cancer risk, and reliable sampling technologies are necessary for conducting firefighter chemical exposure assessments. This study presents the military-style dog tag as a new configuration of silicone passive sampling device to sample individual firefighters' exposures at one high and one low fire call volume department in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area. The recruited firefighters (n = 56) wore separate dog tags to assess on- and off-duty exposures (n = 110), for a total of 30 24 h shifts.

Injury Correlates Among a National Sample of Women in the US Fire Service.

Objective: To examine occupational injuries among career women firefighters (FFs).

Methods: A national cross-sectional survey assessed injury prevalence, types, frequencies, and predictors.

Results: A total of 3012 women career FFs were enrolled in the study.

Targeted Assessment and Context-Tailored Implementation of Change Strategies (TACTICS) to increase evidence based psychotherapy in military behavioral health clinics: Design of a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge implementation study.

Background: Despite efforts by the U.S. Department of Defense to train behavioral health (BH) providers in evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), numerous barriers limit EBP implementation.

Occupationally Tailored, Web-Based, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program for Firefighters: Cluster Randomized Trial and Weight Outcome.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of an occupationally tailored, web-based health and wellness program, The First Twenty® (TF20), for weight change among volunteer firefighters.

Methods: The impact of TF20 on firefighters' 6-month weight change was tested in a cluster, randomized controlled trial, using a crossover design of firefighters in 10 departments. TF20 has web-based nutrition, physical activity, and behavioral health components.