Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study: a seven- and twelve-year prospective analysis of occupational exposures and health outcomes among police officers

Abstract

Objective Overall, police officers have higher rates of several adverse health conditions (e.g., cardiovascular health profiles and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)) compared to persons in many other occupations. Our objective was to conduct a comparative study of occupational exposures and health outcomes among police officers across: (a) a 7-year period, from the baseline examination (2004–2009) to the 1st follow-up examination (2011–2015) and (b) a 12-year period, from baseline to the 2nd follow-up examination (2015–2019). Methods Participants were from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) Study. Variables were assessed through self-report, standardized validated questionnaires, or standardized medical procedures. We computed the 7- and 12-year changes in mean values (for continuous/numeric variables) or prevalence (for categorical variables) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using MIXED and GENMOD procedures in SAS. Results Occupational stress significantly increased over 12 years [3.4; (95% CI 1.2, 5.6)]. The percentage of officers who reported excellent/very good health significantly decreased across both time periods: [− 11.8%; (− 17.8, − 5.9)] across seven years and [− 17.3%; (− 24.2, − 10.4)] across 12 years. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased over seven years [10.7%; (5.3–16.0)] and over 12 years [7.4%; (0.1–14.0)]. Abdominal obesity and glucose intolerance significantly increased over both time periods while hypertension and elevated triglyceride levels increased slightly but not significantly over both time periods. Conclusion Occupational stressors and some health outcomes of officers worsened over time indicating the need for self-health monitoring and wellness programs for police.

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