Health trends in a Canadian police force : a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Abstract

Previous research suggests that members of the police force are at risk of certain health problems and exposed to a variety of occupational health hazards. To clarify the character of these health problems and their association with certain occupational hazards 414 police officers in one division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were assessed. Data examined included their overall health, the extent to which this changed over a five year period (1994-1998). The extent of their exposure to occupational hazards, and the association of the hazards with their health status. An expanded definition of health was used to measure four areas of health: morbidity, health indicators, subjective perceptions and functional capacity. The results revealed that the members of this police division scored high on most measures of health and that there was little change between 1994 and 1998. However, the results suggest that members were at risk for developing cardiac disease and diabetes, and/or may suffer from chronic conditions, such as asthma and joint/back problems. The male police officers had higher levels of elevated cholesterol and obesity than the general male Newfoundland population. Some aspects of police work were found to be associated with poorer health. These findings are discussed with reference to other research on police health.