ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Military Policemen and Firemen are professionals often involved in life-risking activities as well as duties demanding endurance and muscular strength. Nevertheless, their working conditions are rarely satisfactory. OBJECTIVE: To compare levels of physical activity and social, demographic and occupational factors between military policemen and firemen; factors that may impact their ability to efficiently and effectively accomplish their jobs. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in Brazil with 127 local military personnel (67 policemen and 60 firemen). A sociodemographic questionnaire was applied together with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), short version. RESULTS: It was observed that the firemen participating in this study are 4 times more likely to be inactive than the policemen. However, policemen showed higher sociodemographic risk factors (less schooling and the higher number of children and workplaces) to work performance when compared to military firemen. CONCLUSION: It could be inferred that in relation to the firemen, policemen suffer from less favorable sociodemographic conditions and face major risk situations more frequently once they are directly involved with the public security of the States; on the other hand, both populations should be incentivized and offered systematized physical activity programs in their workplaces.
