Abstract
This study investigated the correlations between firefighters’ occupational stress and cardiorespiratory fitness, arterial stiffness, heart rate variability, and sleep quality. We examined 705 male firefighters aged 40–50 years in Seoul City, Korea from November 2016–December 2017. The Occupational stress scale was used to evaluate occupational stress; an exercise stress test was administered to measure participants’ maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max); brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was used to measure firefighters’ arterial stiffness; their autonomic nervous system activities were analyzed to determine heart rate variability (HRR); and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess their sleep quality. We divided the sample population into tertile groups per their occupational stress scores; i.e., low-stress group (n = 233), medium-stress group (n = 237), and high-stress group (n = 235). They were compared per each indicator and correlations were examined. There was a significant difference in VO2max (p < .01), and arterial stiffness (p < .001) according to occupational stress levels. Occupational stress was significantly correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness (r = -.820, p < .05), arterial stiffness (r = .085, p < .05), and sleep quality (r = .276, p < .001), but not HRR. In conclusion, Firefighters’ occupational stress is a key factor behind their elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases; therefore, we recommend programs aimed at reducing their occupational stress and preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Highlights
Firefighters save human lives and provide relief in various emergency situations including natural calamities, industrial accidents, and human-caused disasters
A one-way analysis of variance and a post-hoc test were performed to examine variations in participants’ cardiorespiratory fitness, arterial stiffness, heart rate variability (HRR), and sleep quality according to occupational stress levels
Comparison of cardiorespiratory fitness, arterial stiffness, heart rate variability, and sleep quality according to occupational stress levels
Summary
Firefighters save human lives and provide relief in various emergency situations including natural calamities, industrial accidents, and human-caused disasters. Recent studies reported that the pulse wave velocity (PWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness, can serve as a meaningful, independent predictor for cardiovascular mortality [8, 9, 10] Another important mechanism behind the link between occupational stress and cardiovascular diseases may involve stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which reduces autonomic nervous functions [11]. Sleep disorders are associated with the onset of cardiovascular diseases [21] These considerations warrant analysis of the correlations between firefighters’ occupational stress and the above-mentioned four indicators of cardiovascular diseases—cardiorespiratory fitness, arterial stiffness, HRR, and sleep quality—using appropriate assessment tools to prevent cardiovascular diseases in firefighters. We examined the correlations between firefighters’ occupational stress and these cardiovascular disease risk factors
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