Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) and operational gear are mandatory for tactical police duties. However, due to their physical weight and load burden, they can promote musculoskeletal discomfort (MD). Objective: The study aimed to investigate MD among police officers from a special operations company (SOC), with and without the use of a special operations uniform (SOU). Methods: A total of 42 police officers from the special operations company voluntarily participated in this study. MD was assessed using a standardized body diagram under two conditions: With and without the SOU. The instrument divided the body into 27 regions and provided each participant with a discomfort index on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. In addition, physical activity levels and anthropometric characteristics were measured and correlated with overall discomfort and service time. Results: The overall mean age was 37.10 ± 6.05 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of 28.20 ± 3.60 kg/m2 and an average service time of 13.00 ± 6.70 years. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in body mass between officers wearing the SOU (100.40 ± 12.24 kg) and those not wearing it (86.80 ± 11.74 kg). The use of the SOU was associated with an increase in MD compared to the no-uniform condition. General discomfort correlated with waist circumference (WC; p = 0.0329) and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR; p = 0.0203). Service time showed a positive correlation with the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (p = 0.0120) and the behavioral domain (p = 0.0015). Conclusion: The use of the tactical police uniform causes muscle discomfort among police officers from a special operations company.
Musculoskeletal discomfort associated with special operations uniform use in elite police officers: a cross-sectional study
Bullo V.
;Bergamin M.;Gobbo S.;
2026
Abstract
Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) and operational gear are mandatory for tactical police duties. However, due to their physical weight and load burden, they can promote musculoskeletal discomfort (MD). Objective: The study aimed to investigate MD among police officers from a special operations company (SOC), with and without the use of a special operations uniform (SOU). Methods: A total of 42 police officers from the special operations company voluntarily participated in this study. MD was assessed using a standardized body diagram under two conditions: With and without the SOU. The instrument divided the body into 27 regions and provided each participant with a discomfort index on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. In addition, physical activity levels and anthropometric characteristics were measured and correlated with overall discomfort and service time. Results: The overall mean age was 37.10 ± 6.05 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of 28.20 ± 3.60 kg/m2 and an average service time of 13.00 ± 6.70 years. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in body mass between officers wearing the SOU (100.40 ± 12.24 kg) and those not wearing it (86.80 ± 11.74 kg). The use of the SOU was associated with an increase in MD compared to the no-uniform condition. General discomfort correlated with waist circumference (WC; p = 0.0329) and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR; p = 0.0203). Service time showed a positive correlation with the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (p = 0.0120) and the behavioral domain (p = 0.0015). Conclusion: The use of the tactical police uniform causes muscle discomfort among police officers from a special operations company.
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