TY - JOUR
T1 - Longitudinal decline in cardiorespiratory fitness with age among male firefighters in San Diego, California, 2005-2015
AU - Cameron, Natalie Avella
AU - Shen, Jian
AU - Rusk, Kathleen
AU - Parker, Richard
AU - Godino, Job G.
AU - Nichols, Jeanne F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Public Health Association Inc. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2018/10
Y1 - 2018/10
N2 - Objectives. To determine age-associated changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among firefighters. Methods. Male firefighters (n = 1169) underwent annual evaluations from 2005 to 2015 in San Diego, California. We assessed CRF, the ability to deliver and use oxygen, during a maximal graded exercise test and recorded it in metabolic equivalents (METs; 1 MET = 3.5 ml/kg/min). We investigated differences in baseline CRF among 10-year age groups and patterns of change over follow-up using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively. Results. Both analyses support an inverse relationship between CRF and age. Mean baseline CRF decreased from 15.7 61.7 to 11.7 61.9 METs in the younger than 30 years and 50 years and older age groups, respectively. There was no interaction between body fat and age in predicting CRF (Page · body fat = .09). Longitudinally, there was a nonlinear decrease in CRF, which differed across age groups: the youngest age group demonstrated the greatest decrease in CRF. Conclusions. Results support a negative, nonlinear association between age and CRF without modification by body fatness. Public Health Implications. Fire departments should recognize the health and safety risks of declining CRF and institutionalize programs to promote firefighter fitness.
AB - Objectives. To determine age-associated changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among firefighters. Methods. Male firefighters (n = 1169) underwent annual evaluations from 2005 to 2015 in San Diego, California. We assessed CRF, the ability to deliver and use oxygen, during a maximal graded exercise test and recorded it in metabolic equivalents (METs; 1 MET = 3.5 ml/kg/min). We investigated differences in baseline CRF among 10-year age groups and patterns of change over follow-up using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively. Results. Both analyses support an inverse relationship between CRF and age. Mean baseline CRF decreased from 15.7 61.7 to 11.7 61.9 METs in the younger than 30 years and 50 years and older age groups, respectively. There was no interaction between body fat and age in predicting CRF (Page · body fat = .09). Longitudinally, there was a nonlinear decrease in CRF, which differed across age groups: the youngest age group demonstrated the greatest decrease in CRF. Conclusions. Results support a negative, nonlinear association between age and CRF without modification by body fatness. Public Health Implications. Fire departments should recognize the health and safety risks of declining CRF and institutionalize programs to promote firefighter fitness.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304591
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304591
M3 - Article
C2 - 30138059
AN - SCOPUS:85053835747
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 108
SP - 1388
EP - 1393
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 10
ER -