Firefighters’ Emotional Demands and Off-Duty Unhealthy Behaviors: Social Resources as Moderators

Abstract

Unhealthy eating and alcohol use have been linked to numerous adverse health and well-being outcomes. However, work-related predictors of these behaviors have been largely ignored. One possible explanation why individuals may eat unhealthy foods and use alcohol is to cope with emotional job demands and their associated negative affect at the end of their shift. This may be especially relevant for firefighters as this occupation has been associated with high levels of stress, alcoholism, and obesity. In response, we conducted a between-person structured diary study on 228 firefighters to test the effects of emotional demands during the shift on unhealthy eating and alcohol use during off-duty time via negative affect at the end of the shift. The social influences of those at work (i.e., organizational healthy eating and alcohol use climates) and those at home (i.e., partner support for healthy eating and alcohol use) are tested as moderators that could serve as protective or risk factors. Path analysis results show that emotional demands during the shift are positively related to negative affect at the end of the shift which, in turn, relates to increases in unhealthy eating and alcohol use during their off-duty time. Also, partner support for healthy eating (reported by the target firefighter’s significant other) moderates the relationship between negative affect and unhealthy eating, thereby weakening the indirect effect of emotional demands on unhealthy eating. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.