Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters
Background: 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 p...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Safety and Health at Work |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791125000228 |
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| author | Javier Garcia Rivas Margaret Whitley BongKyoo Choi |
| author_facet | Javier Garcia Rivas Margaret Whitley BongKyoo Choi |
| author_sort | Javier Garcia Rivas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-27a2ecb4068a40c5a9a5e66762eddca3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2093-7911 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety and Health at Work |
| spelling | doaj-art-27a2ecb4068a40c5a9a5e66762eddca32025-08-20T02:06:04ZengElsevierSafety and Health at Work2093-79112025-06-0116222022710.1016/j.shaw.2025.03.003Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among FirefightersJavier Garcia Rivas0Margaret Whitley1BongKyoo Choi2Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Psychology, Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Mexico; School of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Corresponding author. Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Psychology, Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Mexico.School of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Behavioral and Policy Sciences, Research and Development Corporation (RAND), Santa Monica, CA, USASchool of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Center for Work and Health Research, Irvine, CA, USABackground: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791125000228Eating behaviorsFirefightersGeographical fast-food restaurant densityLocal food environmentWorkplace obesity |
| spellingShingle | Javier Garcia Rivas Margaret Whitley BongKyoo Choi Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters Safety and Health at Work Eating behaviors Firefighters Geographical fast-food restaurant density Local food environment Workplace obesity |
| title | Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters |
| title_full | Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters |
| title_fullStr | Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters |
| title_short | Geographical Fast-food Restaurant Density, Workplace Eating Behaviors, and Obesity Among Firefighters |
| title_sort | geographical fast food restaurant density workplace eating behaviors and obesity among firefighters |
| topic | Eating behaviors Firefighters Geographical fast-food restaurant density Local food environment Workplace obesity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791125000228 |
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