Original scientific paper
WORK ABILITY INDEX AND MORBIDITY PROFILE OF PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS
Dijana Poplašen
orcid.org/0000-0001-8258-9362
; Specijalistička ordinacija medicine rada, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Vlatka Brumen
; Poliklinika Medirad, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Zlatko Ulovec
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Stomatološki fakultet, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Mladen Kratohvil
; Dom zdravlja MUP-a, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Firefighting duties are performed under special conditions, thus candidates are selected for the job via a strict professional selection procedure. The objective of the study was to determine the work ability index and morbidity profile across a sample of 300 firefighters (male, average age 43+/- 7.84, average years of employment 18.5 +/- 7.67 years, years in firefighting 14.9 +/- 6.44 years). The data used in the study came from the firefighters' medical records and the WAI questionnaire. Qualitative variables were described using absolute and relative frequencies, and quantitative ones using central tendency and dispersion parameters, tested for the distribution normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The Cronbach a of 0.050 was deemed statistically significant. The percent-shares of hypertension (7.1%) and cardiovascular diseases (2%) were found to be lower than in the general population. Vision impairments were found in 6.7% and hearing & balance impairments in 2% of subjects. Obesity was found in 39.6% of subjects, increased sugar levels in 14.8% and increased creatinine serum levels in 7.1% of the subjects. The subjects ranked their work ability as high and were not inclined to absenteeism. The selection procedure currently in place helps in achieving the ''healthy worker effect.''
Keywords
professional firefighting; work ability; health status; morbidity profile; ''healthy worker effect''
Hrčak ID:
140174
URI
Publication date:
26.6.2015.
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