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The purpose was to report body mass changes during a police weight-loss competition over a 12-week period with future implementation suggestions for health promotion practitioners. This second year competition was composed of 409 nonsworn employees and sworn officers in teams of three to four participants weighing-in every 2 weeks. Teams that met the weight-loss goal of 5% from starting mass qualified for awards. Data were analyzed with respect to differences between genders, repeat participants versus first-timers, nonsworn employees versus sworn officers, and age. A significant (p < 0.001) change in mean mass from 99.1 to 96.1 kg resulted in a loss of 3.1 kg, with a mean percent mass loss of 3%. Greatest mean mass change occurred over the first 4 weeks with significant (p < 0.001) differences between each weigh-in. Sworn officers had significantly (p < 0.001) greater percent mass loss, 4%, than nonsworn employees, 2%. Those ≥ 40 years experienced a significantly (p < 0.01) greater percent mass loss, 4%, versus the 3% loss experienced by those < 40 years old. Of all participants, 23% met the goal of 5% mass lost. Attendance was 100% for the first 6 weeks, with 1% absenteeism by week 8. Absenteeism increased at weeks 10 and 12, to 7% and 11%, respectively. The escalation in weeks 10 and 12 was substantially impacted by the absenteeism of nonsworn employees, 19% and 30%, respectively. Suggestions to improve efficacy include addressing apparent motivational differences between sworn and nonsworn participants and adding incentives to reduce end-of-program absenteeism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Firefighters and police have different physical job requirements and selection processes. Firefighters have on-duty exercise time and police do not. This could affect body composition and strength. The purpose of this investigation was to compare body composition and bench press strength between firefighters and police officers in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg departments. Current 2006 fitness records were analyzed to compare firefighters and police (N = 2330). Variables included: gender, age, body mass, percent body-fat, fat mass, lean mass, bench press strength, bench press/lean mass, bench press/body mass, and percent that were obese. Significant (p ⩽ 0.05) differences were found between male firefighters and police in age (37.7 vs. 36.9 yrs), body mass (91.5 vs. 93.2 kg), percent body-fat (17.8% vs.18.5%), fat mass (16.9 vs. 18.0 kg), bench press strength (93.4 vs. 96.3 kg), bench press/body mass (1.03 vs.1.05) and percent that were obese (10% vs.17%), respectively. Significant differences between female firefighters and police were found in age (42.4 vs. 37.4 yrs), body mass (77.5 vs. 71.8 kg), lean mass (54.4 vs. 51.2 kg), bench press strength (52.3 vs. 43.9 kg), bench press/lean mass (0.99 vs. 0.86) and bench press/body mass (0.69 vs. 0.62), respectively. Male police were younger, weighed more, had higher percent body fat, higher percent of obesity, and had greater upper body strength than firefighters. Female police were younger, weighed less, had less lean mass and less upper body strength than their firefighter counterparts. Contributing factors might include pre-employment selection, recruit training, in-service physical fitness testing, and counseling provided by departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Employers seek to minimize business costs by creating conditions of employment. Relying on the presumably negative effects of smoking on variables such as workers' compensation claims, absenteeism and physical fitness scores, they seek a rational basis for requirements that employees refrain from smoking. No research has been found on police officer smoking rates relating to physical fitness, and the resulting economic variables of workers' compensation claims and absenteeism rates., Aims: To compare police officer non-smoker and smoker physical fitness, absenteeism rates and workers' compensation claims., Methods: The sample included 514 officers of a metropolitan police department. A physical fitness test was administered. Smoking status, yearly absenteeism rates and workers' compensation claims were collected., Results: Male smokers were significantly older than non-smokers. An analysis of covariance controlling for sex and age indicated that smokers had significantly (P < or = 0.05) lower fitness scores in sit and reach flexibility, sit-ups endurance, bench press strength and bicycle ergometer cardiovascular endurance. When neither age nor sex was controlled in males, a similar trend continued. However, in females only the sit and reach and sit-up tests demonstrated statistically significant differences. Fat percentage, step-test scores, absenteeism rates and workers' compensation claims were not statistically different., Conclusion: These data do not provide a rational basis for the requirement that officers refrain from smoking when considering body fat and the economic savings of lower absenteeism rates and workers' compensation. To some extent, smoking policies can be justified by officers' physical fitness but there are age, gender and test protocol considerations.