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The relationship between physical fitness and occupational injury in emergency responders: A systematic review
Author(s) -
Lentz Liana,
Randall Jason R.,
Gross Douglas P.,
Senthilselvan Ambikaipakan,
Voaklander Don
Publication year - 2019
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.22929
Subject(s) - medicine , musculoskeletal injury , physical fitness , physical therapy , occupational safety and health , occupational injury , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , test (biology) , poison control , medical emergency , alternative medicine , pathology , paleontology , biology
Background Emergency responders have jobs with physical demands that put them at risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Objectives This paper systematically reviews existing literature examining the relationship between fitness and occupational injury in this group. Methods Comprehensive electronic searches were conducted using key words relating to musculoskeletal injury, fitness, and emergency responders. Results Eleven articles included in the review provided limited evidence for the relationship between physical fitness test scores and injury risk. There appears to be a correlation between better aerobic fitness and decreased risk of injury. Conclusions Evidence of the relationship between aspects of physical fitness and occupational injury in emergency responders is extremely limited. More research is required to expand the knowledge in this area and to draw more definitive conclusions.