(56) FIREFIGHTERS’ PERCEPTION OF EXERCISE-RELATED INJURY MECHANISMS

Thursday, July 13, 2023

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM East Coast USA Time

Location: Milano III-IV

Poster Presenter(s)

Mark G. Abel, PhD, CSCS*D, TSAC-F*D

Professor
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Author(s)

Sarah N. Lanham, MS, CSCS

Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
JT

Jamal Thruston

Graduate Student
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
EB

Emma Briney

Student
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
JM

Jackson Miller

Student
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
AE

Alyssa Eastman

Research Director
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Emily Langford, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Montevallo
Homewood, Alabama, United States
VS

Vanessa Santos

Researcher
ICPOL Research Center, Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Homeland Security
Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
LM

Luis Monteiro

Researcher
CIDEFES, Lusófona University
Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
JW

Jodie Wills

Professor
Macquarie University
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
TD

Tim Doyle

Professor
Macquarie University
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Nicholas Heebner, PhD, ATC

Associate Professor
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
PG

Phillip Gribble

Professor
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Abstract Details:

Purpose: Firefighter injuries are commonly incurred during exercise training. However, there is a lack of research evaluating risk factors of exercise injuries. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to describe firefighters’ perceptions of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional factors associated with exercise injuries.

Methods: A convenience sample of 252 career structural firefighters (231 male, 15 female, 1 prefer not to say; White: 89%, Latinx: 4%; African American: 3%; Age: 39.6±9.8 yr; Firefighter experience: 15.1±9.1 yr) responded anonymously to an electronic survey inquiring about perceived factors associated with exercise-related injuries among firefighters. Firefighters responded to the following question and were allowed to select multiple factors: “Which of the following factors do you feel may contribute to firefighter exercise injuries?”. The factors were reported as relative frequencies and calculated as the number of times the factor was selected relative to the number of respondents.

Results: The most frequent perceived factors that contribute to exercise injuries were intrapersonal in nature and included poor exercise technique (79%), age (64%), lack of exercise training experience (60%), lack of warm-up (53%), fatigue due to non-exercise factors (51%), pre-existing physical issues from working other jobs (37%), and fatigue due to exercise (27%). The frequency of perceived interpersonal factors contributing to exercise injury included performing exercises because another firefighter is performing them (19%), motivating each other (18%), and lack of situational awareness (17%). Institutional factors included lack of: supervision (22%), access to exercise programming (20%), instructional use of provided exercise equipment (16%), and access to exercise equipment (6%).

Conclusions: Firefighters’ perceived exercise injuries to be primarily intrapersonal and modifiable in nature. Poor exercise technique was the most abundant perceived factor associated with exercise injury. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: To reduce exercise injuries, fire departments should provide resources and certified strength and conditioning practitioners to educate firefighters regarding proper exercise technique, the importance of performing a warm-up, and utilization of fatigue management strategies. Providing firefighters with a structured, periodized, and supervised exercise program will likely decrease exercise injuries and improve overall health and readiness.

Acknowledgements: None.