Dietary Intake Among Members of a Volunteer Fire Department Compared With US Daily Dietary Recommendations

Payal Kadiwar; Nimit Shah; Taylor Black; Alberto J Caban-Martinez; Michael Steinberg; Kathleen Black; Joachim Sackey; Judith Graber

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002102

Dietary Intake Among Members of a Volunteer Fire Department Compared With US Daily Dietary Recommendations

J Occup Environ Med. 2021 Feb 1;63(2):147-150. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002102.

Authors

Payal Kadiwar¹, Nimit Shah, Taylor Black, Alberto J Caban-Martinez, Michael Steinberg, Kathleen Black, Joachim Sackey, Judith Graber

Affiliation

¹ Rutgers School of Public Health; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (Ms Kadiwar, Mr Shah, Ms Black, Dr Steinberg, Dr Black, Dr Sackey, Dr Graber); and The University of Miami, Miami, Florida (Dr Caban-Martinez).

PMID: 33273397
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002102

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the diet of volunteer firefighters compared with the United States recommended dietary intake.

Methods: A survey was administered to members of volunteer fire department which collected information on demographics, behavioral risks, fire service history, and dietary intake using the Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Dietary intake was compared with US recommendations; associations between dietary intake and years of firefighting, were assessed using bi- and multivariate analysis.

Results: The 122 male study participants were majority non-Hispanic white (96.4%), and over 90% were overweight or obese. Participants had lower mean intakes of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and dietary fiber, and a higher mean intake of added sugars compared with the US recommended dietary intake.

Conclusion: Volunteer firefighters in our study had suboptimal daily dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber, whole grains, and added sugars.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Diet*
Eating
Fruit
Humans
Male
United States
Vegetables*
Volunteers