This study assessed comorbidity across five common health conditions.
Surveys were collected from a probability-based sample of U.S. law enforcement officers, and latent class models estimated for hypertension (HTN), high blood cholesterol (LDL), diabetes (DM), a gastrointestinal disorder (GI), and sleep apnea (SA). Most officers (69.4 percent) were classified in a Healthy profile. One in four officers (23.7 percent) were classified in an LDL-HTN-DM profile. About 7 percent of officers were classified in a GI-SA-HTN profile. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), exercise, and working a rotating shift assignment distinguished class membership. The study concluded that most officers reported good health. Law enforcement administrative or clinical assessments using readily accessible measures might be informative in identifying risk categories of need for more targeted prevention and treatment support. (publisher abstract modified)