Participatory Development Process of Two Human Dimension Intervention Programs to Foster Physical Fitness and Psychological Health and Well-Being in Wildland Firefighting

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 13; p. 7118
• Main Authors: Leduc, Caleb, Giga, Sabir I., Fletcher, Ian J., Young, Michelle, Dorman, Sandra C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 02.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Collaboration; Communication; Critical components; Design; Firefighters; Forest & brush fires; Health risks; Injury prevention; Intervention; Leadership; Occupational health; Occupational safety; Organizations; Participatory research; Physical fitness; Psychological stress; Regions; Research centers; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Safety research; Wildfires
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18137118

Intervention programs designed, delivered, and evaluated by and within organizations are a critical component in the promotion of employee health and well-being and in the prevention of occupational injury. Critical for transference of findings across complex occupational settings is a clearly articulated development process, a reliance on and evaluation of underlying theoretical foundations, and the inclusion of relevant outcomes emerging out of participatory action processes. To date, there have been no documented efforts outlining the development, implementation, or evaluation of human dimension intervention programs targeting wildland firefighters. The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of two collaborative and participatory intervention programs, targeting wildland firefighters’ physical and psychological health and well-being. Two human dimension intervention programs were developed in a collaborative, iterative and participatory process following the Context–Content–Process–Outcomes Framework. First, a physical fitness training intervention program was designed to maintain wildland firefighter’s physical fitness levels and attenuate risk of injury. Second, a psychosocial education intervention program was developed to mitigate the impact of psychosocial risk factors, foster work engagement, and decrease job stress. The current study provides evidence for the capacity of researchers and organizations to collaboratively develop practical programs primed for implementation and delivery.