Firefighters’ Perceptions and Behavioral Patterns: A Social Science Approach to Cancer Prevention
Description: As cancer has become a major threat to firefighters, it has received increasing attention in scientific research. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of understanding of how personal background, group dynamics, and organizational culture can shape firefighters’ perceptions and behaviors, and subsequently affect their carcinogenic exposures. Without a deep understanding of these social factors, cancer prevention and interventions can be incomplete and ineffective. This project will develop a close research partnership between the San Marcos Professional Firefighters Association and social scientists from the University of California, Riverside. We will integrate our insights, expertise, and professional skills to identify specific challenges, design and implement effective educational programs and intervention procedures, and generate novel insights and knowledge for cancer prevention. We aim to address a series of questions, including how firefighters perceive their cancer risks and the main causes of cancer in their work; how personal background and attributes, group dynamics, and organizational culture affect firefighters’ perceptions and working practices (such as use, storage, and cleaning of protective equipment); and the effectiveness of organizational initiatives and educational programs for cancer prevention. We will observe firefighters’ working practices and further conduct interviews and surveys to understand the social dynamics shaping firefighters’ perceptions and practices related to carcinogenic exposures. We will undertake a new organizational initiative to provide multi-cancer early detection tests, develop a series of educational programs, and improve organizational policies on cancer prevention. We will further examine their effectiveness in changing firefighters’ perceptions and behaviors and reducing cancer risks. This in-depth study will generate important insights on how firefighters’ perceptions and behavioral patterns impact their carcinogenic exposures, which also help develop educational programs and organizational interventions for cancer prevention. This project will further lay a solid foundation for a large-scale survey of California firefighters in a future study. Together these will exert a significant, positive, and timely impact on California firefighters.
Amount: $385,300
Start date: 2024-12-01
Investigators: Wei Zhao, Wei Zhao, Andrew Violante
Institutions: University of California, Riverside, San Marcos Professional Firefighters Association
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: g93k4h
OpenAlex ID: G4159235180