8275293 The impact of overall and task-specific physical demands on Dutch firefighters’ sustainable employability over time

<h3>Objective</h3> Firefighting is widely recognized as a physically demanding occupation, with growing awareness of its mental and emotional challenges. The SEmFire Cohort Study was initiated to investigate the relationship between work demands and sustainable employability (SE) among Dutch firefighters. The present study focuses on the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between overall and task-specific physical demands and SE indicators. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> We used questionnaire data from baseline and one-year follow-up assessments of 1,371 Dutch career firefighters. SE was evaluated using nine indicators across the domains of health, well-being, and employability: perceived health status, work ability, need for recovery, fatigue, job satisfaction, motivation to work, perceived employability, skill-gap, and job performance. Independent variables included perceived overall and task-specific physical demands. Multiple logistic regression models were applied, with adjustments for personal, occupational and health-related factors, also examining the role of mental and emotional demands. <h3>Results</h3> Significant cross-sectional associations were observed between both overall and task-specific physical demands and SE indicators across all three domains. Firefighters reporting high physical demands had increased odds of negative outcomes compared to those reporting low physical demands. Longitudinally, high baseline overall physical demands predicted less favourable outcomes at follow-up, particularly increased need for recovery (OR 8.45; 95% CI 1.92-37.16), prolonged fatigue (OR 2.35; 95% CI 1.02-5.42), and reduced motivation to work (OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.14-3.68). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Physical work demands adversely affect multiple dimensions of SE over time. Future research should further explore subgroup differences and the interplay with other types of work demands to guide targeted preventive and supportive strategies in the fire service. <h3>Funding</h3> This research was supported by the Werkgeversvereniging Samenwerkende Veiligheidsregio’s (WVSV) and School CAPHRI, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.