ArticleBMC public health2024
Evaluation of the relationship between occupational-specific task performance and measures of physical fitness, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in firefighters.
Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pulmonary Functions and Capacities and Their Associations with Sociodemographic, Physical and Behavioural Risk Factors in Firefighters.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Including Eye Movement in the Assessment of Physical Fatigue Under Different Loading Types and Road Slopes.Journal of eye movement research · 2026Article
- Functional Biomarkers Associated with Risk of Low Back Pain in Firefighters: A Systematic Review.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Review
- Association between metabolic syndrome and physical fitness in firefighters: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Article
- Impact of physical activity on cardiovascular health in firefighters: Scoping review.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2025Review
- Research on optimal strategy of different fire rescue tasks based on oxygen consumption.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Article
- Oxygen consumption efficiency in firefighters: roles of fatigue and rescue task.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Article
- Knee proprioception, muscle strength, and stability in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus- A cross-sectional study.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Age-Related Differences in Physical Fitness and Performance of an "Ability Test" among Firefighters.Muscles (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionFirefighters are required to perform physically strenuous tasks such as hose drags, victim rescues, forcible entries and stair climbs to complete their public safety mission. Occupational-specific tasks are often used to evaluate the ability of firefighters to adequately/safely perform their duties. Depending on the regions, occupational-specific tasks include six to eight individual tasks, which emphasize distinct aspects of their physical fitness, while also requiring different levels of cardiovascular (CVH) and musculoskeletal health (MSH). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between specific occupational task performance and measures of physical fitness, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health.
methodsUsing a cross-sectional design, 282 full-time male and female firefighters were recruited. A researcher-generated questionnaire and physical measures were used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, CVH, MSH and weekly physical activity habits. Physical measures were used to collect data on physical fitness and occupational-specific task performance.
resultsAbsolute cardiorespiratory fitness (abV̇O2max), grip strength, leg strength, push-ups, sit-ups and lean body mass (all p < 0.001) had an inverse association with completion times on all occupational-specific tasks. Age was positively related to the performance of all tasks (all p < 0.05). Higher heart rate variability (HRV) was associated with better performance on all tasks (all p < 0.05). Bodyfat percentage (BF%) and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with the step-up task (p < 0.05). Lower back musculoskeletal injury (LoBMSI), musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD), and lower limb MSD were associated with a decreased odds of passing the step-up. Upper body MSIs (UBMSI), LoBMSIs and Lower back MSD were associated with decreased odds of passing the rescue drag.
conclusionFirefighters that were taller, leaner, stronger and fitter with a more favourable CVH profile, higher HRV and less musculoskeletal discomfort performed best on all occupational-specific tasks.
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