Musculoskeletal discomfort associated with special operations uniform use in elite police officers: a cross-sectional study

Background Personal protective equipment (PPE) and operational gear are mandatory for tactical police duties. However, due to their physical weight and load burden, they can promote musculoskeletal discomfort (MD). Objective The study aimed to investigate MD among police officers from a special operations company (SOC), with and without the use of a special operations uniform (SOU). Methods A total of 42 police officers from the special operations company voluntarily participated in this study. MD was assessed using a standardized body diagram under two conditions: With and without the SOU. The instrument divided the body into 27 regions and provided each participant with a discomfort index on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. In addition, physical activity levels and anthropometric characteristics were measured and correlated with overall discomfort and service time. Results The overall mean age was 37.10 ± 6.05 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of 28.20 ± 3.60 kg/m 2 and an average service time of 13.00 ± 6.70 years. A significant difference ( p < 0.05) was observed in body mass between officers wearing the SOU (100.40 ± 12.24 kg) and those not wearing it (86.80 ± 11.74 kg). The use of the SOU was associated with an increase in MD compared to the no-uniform condition. General discomfort correlated with waist circumference (WC; p = 0.0329) and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR ; p = 0.0203). Service time showed a positive correlation with the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) ( p = 0.0120) and the behavioral domain ( p = 0.0015). Conclusion The use of the tactical police uniform causes muscle discomfort among police officers from a special operations company.