Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters

Obesity rates in the general population are influenced by the local food environment. However, no epidemiological studies have examined how the food environment near the workplace may influence obesity outcomes, especially for occupational groups like firefighters who have high obesity prevalence. This article investigates the direct and indirect pathways between geographical fast-food restaurant density (GFFRD) and obesity among 227 professional firefighters.

We used three clinically assessed obesity measures (body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat percent) as outcome variables and self-reported eating habits as mediating variables collected with a firefighter-specific questionnaire. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore both direct and indirect pathways, acknowledging the exploratory nature of this analysis given the limited foundational research in occupational fast-food density.

We found a statistically significant but small indirect association between GFFRD and obesity measures, mediated by organizational and individual-level eating behaviors, with potential implications for occupational health at a population level.

The study findings contribute to the evidence on how the food environment near the workplace influences obesity risk through eating behaviors. These insights may inform interventions targeting dietary habits in firefighters and other shift workers to mitigate workplace-related obesity risks.