Effect of physical activity on coronary heart disease risk factors among firefighters: a scoping review protocol

Ghaleelullah Achmat; Charlene Erasmus; Jill Kanaley; Lloyd Leach

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068353

Effect of physical activity on coronary heart disease risk factors among firefighters: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open. 2023 May 18;13(5):e068353. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068353.

Authors

Ghaleelullah Achmat¹, Charlene Erasmus², Jill Kanaley³, Lloyd Leach⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa gachmat@uwc.ac.za.
² Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families and Society, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
³ Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
⁴ Department of Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity interventions have been used for various health conditions, including cardiovascular disease. However, the literature is still limited regarding the effect of physical activity on coronary heart disease among firefighters.

Methods and analysis: The review will be conducted according to recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and PRISMA Protocol guidelines. This scoping review will provide a synthesis of current evidence on the effects of physical activity on coronary heart disease among firefighters. Search strategies will be performed in the following databases: Cochrane database, PubMed, Medline, (EbscoHost), Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL (EBSCO), SAGE journals, ScienceDirect and Scopus. We will include literature in the English language that are full-text peer-reviewed articles from inception to November 2021. Screening of (titles, abstracts and full text of potential articles) will be done by two independent authors using EndNote V.9 software tool. A standardised data extraction form will be designed for the extraction. Two authors will independently extract the data from the selected articles and all differences will be discussed by an invited third reviewer if a consensus cannot be reached. The primary outcomes will be the impact of physical fitness on firefighters experiencing coronary artery disease. This information can assist policy-makers in decision-making related to the use of physical activity in firefighters experiencing coronary heart disease.

Ethics and dissemination: Ethical clearance has been obtained from the University ethics committee and the City of Cape Town. The findings will be disseminated through publications and the physical activity guidelines will be submitted to the Fire Departments within the City of Cape Town. Data analysis will start on 1 April 2023.

Keywords: coronary heart disease; health & safety; health policy; protocols & guidelines; sports medicine.

MeSH terms

Cardiovascular Diseases*
Exercise
Firefighters*
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Humans
Research Design
Review Literature as Topic
South Africa
Systematic Reviews as Topic