POLICE STUDENT NUTRITIONAL BEHAVIORS
Keywords:
police education; dietary habits; nutrition; SerbiaAbstract
Introduction:
A career in law enforcement is physically and mentally demanding, contributing to increased health risks and occupational stress. Physical activity and healthy eating are beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight and preventing many chronic health conditions (e.g., heart disease, cancer). While most police students must pass a fitness exam to enter training and again before becoming sworn police officers, it is unclear if academy training prepares officers to develop healthy dietary habits for their careers. This study aimed to investigate typical dietary habits of police students at the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, Belgrade, Serbia, and determine ways to improve officer education in healthy eating.
Methods:
A sample of police students (n = 137, 36.5% female) of average age 20.2 years participated in a survey to evaluate their typical dietary habits. Descriptive statistics were used to describe their nutritional behaviors.
Results:
Overall, the results suggest that most students make good nutrition decisions. The majority (78.1%) of students reported using alcohol responsibly, and 74.45% drank water between meals, though only 6.6% of students ate enough fruit every day. Almost all (98.5%) understood the importance of diet, but only 11.7% received nutrition-related information from a school source.
Conclusion:
Results suggest that police student training should include nutritional education and physical preparation for holistic police officer development. This approach could help prevent poor health outcomes for police officers.
Keywords: police education; dietary habits; nutrition; Serbia
References
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Anderson, G. S. (2001). Police officer physical ability testing: Re-validating a selection criterion. Policing, 24(1), 8–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510110382232
Anderson, G. S., & Plecas, D. B. (2000). Predicting shooting scores from physical performance data. Policing, 23(4), 525–537. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510010355611
Blumberg, D. M., Schlosser, M. D., Papazoglou, K., Creighton, S., & Kaye, C. C. (2019). New directions in police academy training: A call to action. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244941
Bytomski, J. R. (2018). Fueling for performance. Sports Health, 10(1), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738117743913
Can, S. H., & Hendy, H. M. (2014). Police stressors, negative outcomes associated with them and coping mechanisms that may reduce these associations. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 87(3), 167–177. https://doi.org/10.1350/pojo.2014.87.3.676
Chalmuri, Y., Padma, Tm., Pratap, K. V. N. R., Vineela, P., Varma, L. S. C., & Vidyasagar, Y. (2018). Do the dental students have enough nutritional knowledge? A survey among students of a dental college in Telangana State. Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry, 16, 38–47. https://doi.org/10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_68_17
Colozza, D. (2021). Dietary health perceptions and sources of nutritional knowledge in an urban food environment: A qualitative study from Indonesia. Public Health Nutrition, 24(10), 2848–2858. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020003900
Ćopić, N., Kukić, F., Tomić, I., Parčina, I., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). The impact of shift work on nutritional status of police officers. Nauka, Bezbednost, Policija, 25(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.5937/nabepo25-24628
Demling, R. H., & DeSanti, L. (2000). Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 44(1), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1159/000012817
Habersaat, S. A., Geiger, A. M., Abdellaoui, S., & Wolf, J. M. (2015). Health in police officers: Role of risk factor clusters and police divisions. Social Science and Medicine, 143, 213–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.043
He, N., Zhao, J., & Ren, L. (2005). Do race and gender matter in police stress? A preliminary assessment of the interactive effects. Journal of Criminal Justice, 33(6), 535–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2005.08.003
Koropanovski, N., Kukić, F., Janković, R., Dimitrijević, R., Dawes, J. J., Lockie, R. G., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). Impact of physical fitness on recruitment and its association to study outcomes of police students. South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 42(1), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.10520/EJC-1d4d35d9ae
Kukić, F., & Čvorović, A. (2019). The strategic approach to an improvement of health-related physical fitness of police officers: An 8-week exercise intervention: Pilot study. Bezbednost, Beograd, 61(2), 28–45. https://doi.org/10.5937/bezbednost1902028k
Kukić, F., Cvorovic, A., Dawes, J., Orr, R., & Dopsaj, M. (2018). Relations of body voluminosity and indicators of muscularity with physical performance of police employees: pilot study. Baltic Journal of Sport and Health Sciences, 4(111), 30–38. https://doi.org/10.33607/bjshs.v4i111.675
Kukić, F., & Dopsaj, M. (2016). Structural analysis of body composition status in Abu Dhabi police personnel. Nauka, Bezbednost, Policija, 21(3), 19–38. https://doi.org/10.5937/nabepo21-12244
Kukic, F., Dopsaj, M., Dawes, J., Orr, R., & Cvorovic, A. (2018). Use of human body morphology as an indication of physical fitness: Implications for police officers. International Journal of Morphology, 36(4), 1407–1412. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022018000401407
Kukić, F., Heinrich, K. M., Koropanovski, N., Poston, W. S. C., Čvorović, A., Dawes, J. J., Orr, R., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). Differences in body composition across police occupations and moderation effects of leisure time physical activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6825. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186825
Kukić, F., Jeknić, V., Dawes, J., Orr, R., Stojković, M., & Čvorović, A. (2019). Effects of training and a semester break on physical fitness of police trainees. Kinesiology, 51(2), 161–169. https://doi.org/10.26582/k.51.2.2
Kukić, F., Koropanovski, N., Jankovic, R., & Dopsaj, M. (2019). Effects of specialized physical education and additional aerobic training on aerobic endurance of police students. Human. Sport. Medicine, 19(S2), 58–64. https://doi.org/10.14529/hsm19s208
Kukic, F., Scekic, A., Koropanovski, N., Cvorovic, A., Dawes, J. J., & Dopsaj, M. (2019). Age-related body composition differences in female police officers. International Journal of Morphology, 37(1), 302–307. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022019000100302
Lagestad, P., Jenssen, O. R., & Dillern, T. (2014). Changes in police officers’ physical performance after 16 years of work. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 16(4), 308–317. https://doi.org/10.1350/ijps.2014.16.4.349
Lagestad, P., & van den Tillaar, R. (2014). Longitudinal changes in the physical activity patterns of police officers. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 16(1), 76–86. https://doi.org/10.1350/ijps.2014.16.1.329
Lemacks, J. L., Adams, K., & Lovetere, A. (2019). Dietary intake reporting accuracy of the bridge2u mobile application food log compared to control meal and dietary recall methods. Nutrients, 11(199), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010199
McCreary, D. R., Fong, I., & Groll, D. L. (2017). Measuring policing stress meaningfully: establishing norms and cut-off values for the Operational and Organizational Police Stress Questionnaires. Police Practice and Research, 18(6), 612–623. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2017.1363965
Ménard, K. S., & Arter, M. L. (2014). Stress, coping, alcohol use, and posttraumatic stress disorder among an international sample of police officers: Does gender matter? Police Quarterly, 17(4), 307–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098611114548097
Orr, R. M., Dawes, J. J., Pope, R., & Terry, J. (2018). Assessing differences in anthropometric and fitness characteristics between police academy cadets and incumbent officers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(9), 2632–2641. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002328
Quaidoo, E. Y., Ohemeng, A., & Amankwah-Poku, M. (2018). Sources of nutrition information and level of nutrition knowledge among young adults in the Accra metropolis. BMC Public Health, 18(1323), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6159-1
Ramey, S. L., Perkhounkova, Y., Moon, M., Budde, L., Tseng, H. C., & Clark, M. K. (2012). The effect of work shift and sleep duration on various aspects of police officers’ health. Workplace Health and Safety, 60(5), 215–222. https://doi.org/10.3928/21650799-20120416-22
Turconi, G., Celsa, M., Rezzani, C., Biino, G., Sartirana, M. A., & Roggi, C. (2003). Reliability of a dietary questionnaire on food habits, eating behaviour and nutritional knowledge of adolescents. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(6), 753–763. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601607
Violanti, J., Charles, L. E., McCanlies, E., Hartley, T. A., Baughman, P., Andrew, M. E., Fekedulegn, D., Ma, C. C., Mnatsakanova, A., & Burchfiel, C. M. (2017). Police stressors and health: A state-of-the-art review. Policing, 40(4), 642–656. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2016-0097
Vuković, M., Kukić, F., Čvorović, A., Janković, D., Prćić, I., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). Relations between frequency and volume of leisure-time physical activity and body composition in police officers. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 91(1), 47–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2019.1646391
Wallace, A., Kirkpatrick, S. I., Darlington, G., & Haines, J. (2018). Accuracy of parental reporting of preschoolers’ dietary intake using an online self-administered 24-h recall. Nutrients, 10(987), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10080987
Wehling, H., & Lusher, J. (2019). People with a body mass index ⩾30 under-report their dietary intake: A systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology, 24(14), 2042–2059. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317714318
Anderson, G. S. (2001). Police officer physical ability testing: Re-validating a selection criterion. Policing, 24(1), 8–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510110382232
Anderson, G. S., & Plecas, D. B. (2000). Predicting shooting scores from physical performance data. Policing, 23(4), 525–537. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510010355611
Blumberg, D. M., Schlosser, M. D., Papazoglou, K., Creighton, S., & Kaye, C. C. (2019). New directions in police academy training: A call to action. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244941
Bytomski, J. R. (2018). Fueling for performance. Sports Health, 10(1), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738117743913
Can, S. H., & Hendy, H. M. (2014). Police stressors, negative outcomes associated with them and coping mechanisms that may reduce these associations. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 87(3), 167–177. https://doi.org/10.1350/pojo.2014.87.3.676
Chalmuri, Y., Padma, Tm., Pratap, K. V. N. R., Vineela, P., Varma, L. S. C., & Vidyasagar, Y. (2018). Do the dental students have enough nutritional knowledge? A survey among students of a dental college in Telangana State. Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry, 16, 38–47. https://doi.org/10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_68_17
Colozza, D. (2021). Dietary health perceptions and sources of nutritional knowledge in an urban food environment: A qualitative study from Indonesia. Public Health Nutrition, 24(10), 2848–2858. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020003900
Ćopić, N., Kukić, F., Tomić, I., Parčina, I., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). The impact of shift work on nutritional status of police officers. Nauka, Bezbednost, Policija, 25(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.5937/nabepo25-24628
Demling, R. H., & DeSanti, L. (2000). Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 44(1), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1159/000012817
Habersaat, S. A., Geiger, A. M., Abdellaoui, S., & Wolf, J. M. (2015). Health in police officers: Role of risk factor clusters and police divisions. Social Science and Medicine, 143, 213–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.043
He, N., Zhao, J., & Ren, L. (2005). Do race and gender matter in police stress? A preliminary assessment of the interactive effects. Journal of Criminal Justice, 33(6), 535–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2005.08.003
Koropanovski, N., Kukić, F., Janković, R., Dimitrijević, R., Dawes, J. J., Lockie, R. G., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). Impact of physical fitness on recruitment and its association to study outcomes of police students. South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 42(1), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.10520/EJC-1d4d35d9ae
Kukić, F., & Čvorović, A. (2019). The strategic approach to an improvement of health-related physical fitness of police officers: An 8-week exercise intervention: Pilot study. Bezbednost, Beograd, 61(2), 28–45. https://doi.org/10.5937/bezbednost1902028k
Kukić, F., Cvorovic, A., Dawes, J., Orr, R., & Dopsaj, M. (2018). Relations of body voluminosity and indicators of muscularity with physical performance of police employees: pilot study. Baltic Journal of Sport and Health Sciences, 4(111), 30–38. https://doi.org/10.33607/bjshs.v4i111.675
Kukić, F., & Dopsaj, M. (2016). Structural analysis of body composition status in Abu Dhabi police personnel. Nauka, Bezbednost, Policija, 21(3), 19–38. https://doi.org/10.5937/nabepo21-12244
Kukic, F., Dopsaj, M., Dawes, J., Orr, R., & Cvorovic, A. (2018). Use of human body morphology as an indication of physical fitness: Implications for police officers. International Journal of Morphology, 36(4), 1407–1412. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022018000401407
Kukić, F., Heinrich, K. M., Koropanovski, N., Poston, W. S. C., Čvorović, A., Dawes, J. J., Orr, R., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). Differences in body composition across police occupations and moderation effects of leisure time physical activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6825. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186825
Kukić, F., Jeknić, V., Dawes, J., Orr, R., Stojković, M., & Čvorović, A. (2019). Effects of training and a semester break on physical fitness of police trainees. Kinesiology, 51(2), 161–169. https://doi.org/10.26582/k.51.2.2
Kukić, F., Koropanovski, N., Jankovic, R., & Dopsaj, M. (2019). Effects of specialized physical education and additional aerobic training on aerobic endurance of police students. Human. Sport. Medicine, 19(S2), 58–64. https://doi.org/10.14529/hsm19s208
Kukic, F., Scekic, A., Koropanovski, N., Cvorovic, A., Dawes, J. J., & Dopsaj, M. (2019). Age-related body composition differences in female police officers. International Journal of Morphology, 37(1), 302–307. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022019000100302
Lagestad, P., Jenssen, O. R., & Dillern, T. (2014). Changes in police officers’ physical performance after 16 years of work. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 16(4), 308–317. https://doi.org/10.1350/ijps.2014.16.4.349
Lagestad, P., & van den Tillaar, R. (2014). Longitudinal changes in the physical activity patterns of police officers. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 16(1), 76–86. https://doi.org/10.1350/ijps.2014.16.1.329
Lemacks, J. L., Adams, K., & Lovetere, A. (2019). Dietary intake reporting accuracy of the bridge2u mobile application food log compared to control meal and dietary recall methods. Nutrients, 11(199), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010199
McCreary, D. R., Fong, I., & Groll, D. L. (2017). Measuring policing stress meaningfully: establishing norms and cut-off values for the Operational and Organizational Police Stress Questionnaires. Police Practice and Research, 18(6), 612–623. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2017.1363965
Ménard, K. S., & Arter, M. L. (2014). Stress, coping, alcohol use, and posttraumatic stress disorder among an international sample of police officers: Does gender matter? Police Quarterly, 17(4), 307–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098611114548097
Orr, R. M., Dawes, J. J., Pope, R., & Terry, J. (2018). Assessing differences in anthropometric and fitness characteristics between police academy cadets and incumbent officers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(9), 2632–2641. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002328
Quaidoo, E. Y., Ohemeng, A., & Amankwah-Poku, M. (2018). Sources of nutrition information and level of nutrition knowledge among young adults in the Accra metropolis. BMC Public Health, 18(1323), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6159-1
Ramey, S. L., Perkhounkova, Y., Moon, M., Budde, L., Tseng, H. C., & Clark, M. K. (2012). The effect of work shift and sleep duration on various aspects of police officers’ health. Workplace Health and Safety, 60(5), 215–222. https://doi.org/10.3928/21650799-20120416-22
Turconi, G., Celsa, M., Rezzani, C., Biino, G., Sartirana, M. A., & Roggi, C. (2003). Reliability of a dietary questionnaire on food habits, eating behaviour and nutritional knowledge of adolescents. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(6), 753–763. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601607
Violanti, J., Charles, L. E., McCanlies, E., Hartley, T. A., Baughman, P., Andrew, M. E., Fekedulegn, D., Ma, C. C., Mnatsakanova, A., & Burchfiel, C. M. (2017). Police stressors and health: A state-of-the-art review. Policing, 40(4), 642–656. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2016-0097
Vuković, M., Kukić, F., Čvorović, A., Janković, D., Prćić, I., & Dopsaj, M. (2020). Relations between frequency and volume of leisure-time physical activity and body composition in police officers. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 91(1), 47–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2019.1646391
Wallace, A., Kirkpatrick, S. I., Darlington, G., & Haines, J. (2018). Accuracy of parental reporting of preschoolers’ dietary intake using an online self-administered 24-h recall. Nutrients, 10(987), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10080987
Wehling, H., & Lusher, J. (2019). People with a body mass index ⩾30 under-report their dietary intake: A systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology, 24(14), 2042–2059. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317714318
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Published
2021-11-26
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Effects of Physical Activity on Anthropological Status in Security Agency Per
