Lifestyle characterisation of the municipal guard agents in the city of Vitória-ES

Abstract

This study aimed to characterise the lifestyle, anthropometric indicators and physical activity level of municipal guards from Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted with 22 male municipal guards. Anthropometric measurements included body mass, height, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, lean mass, fat mass, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and 95% confidence intervals. Participants had a mean age of 39 ± 6 years and an average service time of 10 ± 2.7 years. The mean BMI was 28.02 ± 3.24 kg/m², with 63.63% classified as overweight and 22.73% as obese. The average body fat percentage was 23.18 ± 4.02%, with 58.07% classified as having elevated fat levels. Waist circumference (92.14 ± 7.83 cm) and waist-to-height ratio (0.53 ± 0.05) indicated increased cardiometabolic risk. The average weekly time spent on physical activity was 386 ± 103 minutes, with 93.75% of participants classified as physically active. Regarding lifestyle, 77.27% of the participants were rated between "good" and "very good". Although the municipal guards evaluated in the present study presented an adequate lifestyle, a high prevalence of overweight and excess body fat was observed. These findings highlight the need for targeted health promotion and disease prevention strategies among public security professionals.