Background and Aims : Police work is exposed to more stressors than other occupations. Associations between perceived stress and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and physical activity in police officers were investigated.Methods: Cross-sectional data from a cohort of non-diabetic subjects (n=233; 19F; aged 27 - 58 years) were analysed. MetS was consistent with IDF criteria, perceived stress with Cohen’s 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-LF) was used to evaluate a subject’s estimated metabolic equivalent of Task (MET), based on 5 select domains of physical activity. Non-parametric (Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis) tests, and univariate linear analyses were applied.Results: Obesity was established in 100 (42.92%), hypertension in 111 (47.44), whereas MetS in 104 (44.63%) study subjects. The median [interquartile range] level of perceived stress was also significantly higher in the MetS subjects, as compared to the non- MetS ones (18.00 [15.00–22.00], and 16.00 [12.00–20.00], p=0.02). Perceived stress was positively associated with waist circumference (B=0.326, p=0.03), blood pressure (B=0.622 and B=0.369, p=0.01) for systolic and diastolic, respectively. Negative associations were established between waist circumference and leisure-time (B=−0.074, p=0.04), total walking (B=−0.032, p=0.02), and total (B=−0.013, p=0.03) physical activity. Similar associations between those domains of physical activity and plasma triglycerides level were also observed (p=0.04, p=0.03 and p=0.02). No associations were established between the select domains of physical activity and other variables, e.g. systolic (diastolic) blood pressure, glucose, HDL cholesterol.Conclusions: Perceived stress, and low physical activity promoted obesity in police officer. Background and Aims : Police work is exposed to more stressors than other occupations. Associations between perceived stress and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and physical activity in police officers were investigated. Methods: Cross-sectional data from a cohort of non-diabetic subjects (n=233; 19F; aged 27 - 58 years) were analysed. MetS was consistent with IDF criteria, perceived stress with Cohen’s 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-LF) was used to evaluate a subject’s estimated metabolic equivalent of Task (MET), based on 5 select domains of physical activity. Non-parametric (Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis) tests, and univariate linear analyses were applied. Results: Obesity was established in 100 (42.92%), hypertension in 111 (47.44), whereas MetS in 104 (44.63%) study subjects. The median [interquartile range] level of perceived stress was also significantly higher in the MetS subjects, as compared to the non- MetS ones (18.00 [15.00–22.00], and 16.00 [12.00–20.00], p=0.02). Perceived stress was positively associated with waist circumference (B=0.326, p=0.03), blood pressure (B=0.622 and B=0.369, p=0.01) for systolic and diastolic, respectively. Negative associations were established between waist circumference and leisure-time (B=−0.074, p=0.04), total walking (B=−0.032, p=0.02), and total (B=−0.013, p=0.03) physical activity. Similar associations between those domains of physical activity and plasma triglycerides level were also observed (p=0.04, p=0.03 and p=0.02). No associations were established between the select domains of physical activity and other variables, e.g. systolic (diastolic) blood pressure, glucose, HDL cholesterol. Conclusions: Perceived stress, and low physical activity promoted obesity in police officer.