Yonsei Med J.  2020 Jan;61(1):103-109. 10.3349/ymj.2020.61.1.103.

Cohort Profile: Firefighter Research on the Enhancement of Safety and Health (FRESH), a Prospective Cohort Study on Korean Firefighters

• Kim YT
• Kim WJ
• Choi JE
• Bae MJ
• Jang H
• Lee CJ
• Lee HJ
• Im DJ
• Ye BS
• Kim MJ
• Jeong Y
• Oh SS
• Jung YC
• Kang ES
• Park S
• Lee SK
• Park KS
• Koh SB
• Kim C

• KMID: 2466343
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2020.61.1.103

Abstract

Firefighters have a high risk of developing cardiovascular and mental disorders due to their physical and chemical environments. However, in Korea, few studies have been conducted on environmental risk of firefighters. The Firefighter Research on the Enhancement of Safety and Health (FRESH) study aimed to discover the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and mental disorders among firefighters. Former and current firefighters were recruited from three university hospitals. A total of 1022 participants completed baseline health examinations from 2016 to 2017. All participants were scheduled for follow-ups every 2 years. Baseline health survey, laboratory testing of blood and urine samples, blood heavy metal concentration, urine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) metabolites, stress-related hormone test, natural killer cell activity, as well as physical and mental health examinations that focused on cardiovascular and mental disorders, were conducted. In addition, 3 Tesla (3T) brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological tests were also performed to investigate structural and functional changes in the brains of 352 firefighters aged >40 years or new hires with less than 1 year of service.

Keyword

Firefighters; cohort studies; cardiovascular diseases; mental disorders; magnetic resonance imaging; Republic of Korea

MeSH Terms

Brain
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cohort Studies*
Firefighters*
Follow-Up Studies
Health Surveys
Hospitals, University
Humans
Killer Cells, Natural
Korea
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mental Disorders
Mental Health
Neuropsychological Tests
Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic
Prospective Studies*
Republic of Korea
Risk Factors
Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic

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