Clinical trial · Observational
Dietary Patterns Following a Firefighter Nutrition Education Programme
Assessing Dietary Patterns and the Longer-term Impact of a Firefighter Nutrition Education Programme (RESCUE)
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Firefighters may be at increased risk of poor dietary habits due to nature of shift work, extended duty periods, and reliance on food available within fire station environments. Irregular working patterns and limited access to healthy food options during shifts can contribute to poorer dietary intake. Previous research suggests that occupational environments and works schedules can significantly influence food choices and overall nutrition in emergency service personnel. This study is being conducted to assess current dietary behaviours among firefighters and to evaluate changes following implementation of the RESCUE (Resilient Eating Strategies for Cancer-Risk in Uniformed Emergency workers) nutrition education programme, a structured programme designed to improve dietary knowledge and food choices. It will also explore the influence of station-based food provision on dietary intake. The research is important as firefighters face increased occupational health risks, including elevated cancer risk, where diet may play a role in long-term health outcomes. Improving dietary habits in this group may improve health, occupational performance, and reduce the risk of chronic disease. The findings will provide evidence to inform the development of practical, targeted nutrition interventions within fire and rescue services.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Malignant Neoplasm | ALIAS | 0.90 |
| Diet Habits | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| RESCUE Nutrition Education Programme | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- label
- Eligible AF&RS Wholetime Operational Firefighters
- description
- Wholetime operational firefighters employed by Avon Fire \& Rescue Service who voluntarily complete one or more RESCUE evaluation questionnaires. Participation is invited separately at each assessment, and respondents are not required to have completed a previous questionnaire. RESCUE was implemented service-wide independently of participation in the research evaluation.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: RESCUE Nutrition Education Programme
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Difference in Mean RESCUE Protective Eating Pattern Score Between Baseline and 12 Months
- timeFrame
- Baseline before programme implementation and approximately 12 months after programme implementation
- description
- Difference in mean RESCUE Protective Eating Pattern Score between the service-wide baseline and 12-month questionnaire assessments following implementation of the RESCUE nutrition programme. The score measures the reported frequency of protective dietary behaviours, including consumption of fruit, vegetables, cruciferous and allium vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, and fish and seafood. Scores range from 0 to 28, with higher scores indicating more frequent reported consumption of the protective foods represented in the score. The primary comparison will include all respondents with valid scores in the baseline sample and all respondents with valid scores in the 12-month sample; completion of both assessments is not required. Where participant-generated study codes permit baseline and 12-month responses to be linked, within-participant change will also be examined as a supporting analysis.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: Wholetime (full-time) operational firefighters employed by Avon Fire \& Rescue Service. Aged 18 years or over. Able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: Individuals who are not full-time operational firefighters within Avon Fire and Rescue service (e.g. administrative staff, support roles, or part-time on-call firefighters, firefighters from other fire services)
References
Publications (1)
- BACKGROUNDJones B, Coe S. Exploring the role of diet in reducing cancer risk in UK firefighters: Mediterranean pattern and the potential for targeted nutritional strategies. Nutr Res Rev. 2025 Dec;38(2):777-790. doi: 10.1017/S0954422425100073. Epub 2025 May 28. PMID 40432497