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Perceptions of Work-Related Health and Cancer Risks Among Women Firefighters: A Qualitative Study
Natasha Schaefer Solle1, Katerina M Santiago, Paola Louzado Feliciano
1Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (Dr Solle); Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (Ms Santiago, Ms Louzado Feliciano, and Dr Caban-Martinez); Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (Dr Solle and Dr Caban-Martinez); Division of Field Studies and Engineering (DFSE), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio (Dr Calkins and Dr Fent); Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research, National Development & Research Institutes, Leawood, Kansas (Dr Jahnke); San Francisco Fire Department, SF, California (Ms Parks and Ms Buren); Fire Protection Research Foundation, Quincy, Massachusetts (Grant); Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Dr Burgess).
Women firefighters face significant health concerns, including occupational cancer risks and specific women's health issues. They report a lack of tailored health and safety resources within the fire service.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Firefighter Safety
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Firefighting is a high-risk occupation with known health hazards.
- Limited research exists on the specific health and safety concerns of women in the fire service.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of women firefighters regarding health and safety.
- To understand their perceptions of cancer, occupational risks, and well-being.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive approach using six focus groups.
- Semi-structured discussions with 49 U.S. women firefighters.
- Inductive theme development until data saturation.
Main Results:
- Key concerns include occupational cancer risks from hazardous exposures, sleep disruption, and stress.
- Specific women's health issues identified: cancer, pregnancy, breastfeeding challenges.
- Participants highlighted a significant lack of resources tailored to women firefighters' needs.
Conclusions:
- Women firefighters are concerned about occupation-related cancer risks.
- There is a critical need for enhanced, gender-specific health and safety resources for women in the fire service.
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