Anthropometric indicators of obesity in policemen: a systematic review of observational studies

The aim of this paper was to summarize scientific literature on obesity in policemen through a systematic review of observational studies. For this purpose the following electronic databases were selected: Medline by Pubmed, CINAHL, and Scopus; and a manual search of the referenced studies concerning this topic was performed. There were no restrictions with respect to the year or language of the publication. Twenty-three studies were identified and 9 articles, considered as potentially relevant, were included. The labor time, shift and career progression promoted changes in body composition. Most of the policemen taking part in the studies included in this paper were overweight (BMI: 25.2-29.3), obese (body fat ≥ 25%), had increased waist (90.4-102 cm) and abdominal perimeters (18.9-90.5 cm), and had a higher risk of chronic disease, which is associated with depression and stress development. Interventional studies are needed for the purpose of proposing preventive and rehabilitation programs, which would result in providing physical and mental well-being, improvement of life quality and, especially, prevention of obesity related to police work.