Association between physical performance and health indicators of federal highway police officers from the state of Ceará-Brazil

Abstract

Aim: To analyze the association between the physical performance and health parameters of highway police officers from Ceará, Brazil, and compare data from 2019 and 2020. Methods: We analyzed anthropometric data (body mass index - BMI), biochemical parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose), physical performance (sit-up, horizontal jump, push-ups, 12-min run), gender, age, and assignment data from the database of the Federal Highway Police Superintendency. Associations were tested using Spearman's correlation. A comparison between the years 2019 and 2020 was conducted using paired t-tests, Wilcoxon, and McNemar tests. Results: Out of 247 participants (8.5% women; 43.1 ± 6.6 years; 71.7% in operational roles), BMI data indicated that 57% were with overweight and 21.4% with obesity. Over 90% were considered fit in the physical performance tests, except for the running test, where approximately 40% did not reach the average level of physical performance. There was a reduction in physical performance between 2019 and 2020, except for the horizontal jump. The correlations were weak to moderate negative between age and all physical tests (r = -0.30 to -0.51), as well as for BMI (r = -0.16 to -0.36), in both years. The biochemical parameters had weak negative correlations with most of the physical tests, except for cholesterol. Conclusion: Most police officers who participated in the Federal Highway Police Physical Education program achieved average or above-average levels of physical performance. However, a decline was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, BMI classification revealed concerning levels of overweight and obesity, highlighting the need for more comprehensive health evaluations.