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One‐year weight change and long‐term sickness absence in professional firefighters
Author(s) -
Choi BongKyoo
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.22722
Subject(s) - medicine , overweight , weight loss , obesity , weight change , alcohol consumption , demography , cross sectional study , gerontology , physical therapy , alcohol , biochemistry , chemistry , pathology , sociology
Background Little is known about the association between weight change (particularly moderate weight loss, 5‐10% in initial weight) and long‐term sickness absence (LSA) in working populations. Methods Three hundred and forty professional firefighters reported their current and past (1 year ago) weights in a cross‐sectional survey, along with their LSA experience due to a severe accident, injury, or illness during the previous 12 months. Results The prevalence of LSA was 14.7%. In the non‐smoking male firefighters, the prevalence of LSA was 3.4% in those with moderate weight loss over the past year; 13.3% in those who maintained their weight; and 21.7% in those who gained their weight moderately: gamma coefficient, 0.44 (95%CI: 0.05, 0.66). The linear association remained significant after further controlling for age and alcohol consumption. And it was similar across the adiposity strata (normal weight, overweight, and obesity) of the firefighters 1 year ago. Conclusions One‐year weight loss was associated with decreased risk of LSA in professional firefighters.