Physical and wellness profiles of protection service personnel at an urban university In Johannesburg, Gauteng

M.Phil. (Biokinetics)Abstract: Despite the increasing demand for emergency responders, such as police officers, protection service personnel and firefighters in South Africa, we still seem to lag behind in addressing crucial issues relating to their occupational health and their ability to perform optimally. This study aimed at highlighting the value and importance of health, wellness and fitness in relation to the occupation of protection service personnel. Participants (n=84) were invited to partake in this study to determine health and selected fitness profiles as well as to determine work readiness of protection service personnel. Four questionnaires were administered including the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (Taylor and Johnson, 2008), the Medical History Questionnaire (Heyward and Gibson, 2014), the Lifestyle Evaluation Questionnaire (Heyward and Gibson, 2014) and the Heart Risk Factor Questionnaire (Stone, 1984). These questionnaires assisted with risk factor classification for the study cohort. Health, wellness and selected fitness parameters were tested. Descriptive data was analysed using a statistical computer programme (SPSS, version 25). Means and standard deviations were computed for each variable. The level of significance was set at 5% (p ≤ 0.05). The Correlation co-efficient was used in order to determine correlating factors in the study for the total population and the gender groups. The t-test was used to analyse means between the gender groups. Comparing the male and female participants in this study, significant statistical differences were found in weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, handgrip strength as well as sit-ups in one-minute. There were also a number of correlations between these variables. This study concludes that both males and females are not fit for duty. However, the males do score better than females