Introduction

the modern lifestyle, characterized by intense routines and inadequate diets, contributes to the increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially obesity, which can be influenced by stress. The relationship between stress, nutritional status, and NCDs lacks comprehensive studies, especially concerning public security professionals.

Objective

to evaluate abdominal obesity and its association with stress symptoms in public safety personnel in a metropolitan region of a Brazilian capital.

Methods

the study is part of the “SOMA-SI” program, which investigated the health of public security agents in Espírito Santo between April and December 2022. The sample included police officers, firefighters, and municipal guards (n=216). Healthy adults, who were public safety personnel, were included, while those on leave or under psychiatric treatment were excluded. Blood pressure measurements, anthropometric assessments, and the Lipp’s Inventory of Stress Symptoms for adults were among the variables measured. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) v. 25 for Windows® was used for statistical analyses. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were performed at a significance level of 5%, exploring associations between categorical variables and differences in median stress scores.

Results

the sample consisted of 216 participants, predominantly men (75.5%) and non-white (63.7%), revealing that 61.6% had more than 15 years of work experience, 81.1% had income above six minimum wages, and 77.3% had completed higher education. Military police officers represented the majority (67.6%), with 72.2% being parents, 57.9% alcohol consumers, and 9.3% smokers. Most participants had excess body fat (70.8%) and weight (77.3%). Statistical associations were observed between waist circumference and stress symptoms (p = 0.004).

Conclusion

the study uncovered a prevalent occurrence of abdominal adiposity and stress among public safety personnel. Furthermore, it elucidates a significant prevalence of excess weight within the sample, coupled with a pronounced incidence of stress symptoms. These findings underscore a complex and mutually influential relationship between these variables. However, they also emphasize the critical need for more extensive research efforts to understand the impact of stress on individuals working in public safety roles.

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