Atypical Work Hours and Adaptation in Law Enforcement: Targets for Disease Prevention, Buffalo, New York, 2019-2024 (ICPSR 39156)
Version Date: May 14, 2025 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
John M. Violanti, University at Buffalo
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39156.v1
Version V1
Summary View help for Summary
This study evaluated the impact of atypical work hours on physiological indicators of health and chronic disease among law enforcement officers enrolled in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study. Atypical work hours were defined as: work outside of a standard daytime work shift, the number of shift changes that occur over an extended period, the effect of cumulative overtime hours, and/or secondary employment. The data in this release include measures of global DNA methylation, which is an indicator of genomic instability and risk factor for several types of cancer; food logs documenting wake, sleep, and meal times during workdays and off-duty days; and survey data about psychosocial adaptive and maladaptive behaviors associated with atypical work hours.
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Geographic Coverage View help for Geographic Coverage
Smallest Geographic Unit View help for Smallest Geographic Unit
City
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Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection
Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose
The purpose of this study was to better understand how atypical work hours impact the health and wellbeing of law enforcement officers. This project's specific aims included: (1) Measuring the impact of atypical work hours on early biological indicators of chronic disease, (2) Investigating the strategies that law enforcement officers use to adapt to atypical work hours and how the behaviors and characteristics of maladapted workers differ from adapted workers, (3) Determining which adaptation strategies are associated with beneficial or detrimental changes in health indicators, (4) Identifying evidence-based strategies that minimize health risks for police officers adapting to atypical work hours.
Study Design View help for Study Design
This study utilized a combination of existing data from Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study along with new biological and survey data. To create the Biological Data (DS1), the researchers analyzed previously-collected, frozen biospecimens to create new measures of global DNA methylation. To create the Food Log Data (DS2) and Survey Data (DS3), researchers recruited eligible former BCPOS participants to complete a three-day food log and a survey about their sleep/wake patterns, work schedule, and psychosocial adaptive/maladaptive behaviors associated with atypical work hours. The survey was administered in-person in a private space while the food log was completed independently over a three-day period. Participants were recruited via mailed recruitment letters and were compensated with a $25 check.
Sample View help for Sample
This study used the existing Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study cohort to construct a convenience sample stratified by gender.
Universe View help for Universe
Law enforcement officers.
Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation
Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)
Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection
Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables
The Biological Data (DS1) includes one variable documenting the visit number and three variables describing DNA methylation results.
The Food Log Data (DS2) includes daily food logs from two workdays and one off-duty day. This dataset includes variables reporting the time, location, and eating occasion for each meal, snack, or drink consumed over the course of a day. Wake/sleep time and date are also included for each day.
The Survey Data (DS3) includes variables about sleep habits, social life, napping habits, strategies to adapt to atypical work hours, working hours, and secondary employment.
Response Rates View help for Response Rates
The researchers identified 465 Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) cohort members as potential participants and recruited 176 (37.85 percent) for this study. Of these 176 recruits, 159 (90.34 percent) were included in the final Food Log Data (DS2) and Survey Data (DS3).
HideOriginal Release Date View help for Original Release Date
2025-05-14
Version History View help for Version History
2025-05-14 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
ICPSR usually offers files in multiple formats for researchers to be able to access data and documentation in formats that work well within their needs. If you have questions about the accessibility of materials distributed by ICPSR or require further assistance, please visit ICPSR’s Accessibility Center.
This dataset is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), the criminal justice archive within ICPSR. NACJD is primarily sponsored by three agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice: the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.