Relationship between metabolic syndrome and musculoskeletal health in firefighters

Firefighting's physically demanding and hazardous nature requires firefighters to maintain optimal cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal health. It is suspected that metabolic syndrome (MetS) may contribute significantly to both sudden cardiac arrest and debilitating injury in firefighters, however, there are no studies investigating this relation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between MetS and Musculoskeletal Health (MSH) in Firefighters.

Using systemic sampling, 309 firefighters were recruited to participate. Using physical measures and questionnaires, risk factors for MetS were assessed. MSH was classified as musculoskeletal injuries and musculoskeletal discomfort, and assessed using the Nordic and Cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaires. Logistic and multinomial regressions were used to assess the relationship between variables.

MetS was significantly associated with injuries in firefighters (p = 0.026). Healthy firefighters experienced more musculoskeletal discomfort than firefighters with metabolic syndrome (p = 0.045). Triglyceride and blood glucose concentrations were significantly associated with musculoskeletal injuries (p = 0.038) and musculoskeletal discomfort (p = 0.035). Multinomial regression indicated that firefighters with one, two and three risk factors were at increased odds of 5.01, 2.40, and 2.36 times than healthy firefighters.

This study suggests that cardiometabolic health may directly affect the musculoskeletal health of firefighters and may play a crucial role in their overall health and well-being.