Name: RENALT RODRIGUES GONÇALVES
Publication date: 17/06/2026
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| ANDRE SOARES LEOPOLDO | Examinador Externo |
| DANILO SALES BOCALINI | Presidente |
| FABIANO POLITTI | Examinador Externo |
| KIANY DE OLIVEIRA MIRANDA | Examinador Externo |
Summary: The maintenance of physical fitness and cardiovascular health is critical to the operational performance of public security personnel, whose occupational routines involve intense physical demands and exposure to stressors that contribute to the development of chronic non-communicable diseases, particularly arterial hypertension. OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare health indicators, body composition, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and physical activity levels between hypertensive and non-hypertensive military personnel from the Riot Company of the Special Missions Battalion of the Military Police of Espírito Santo, Brazil. METHODS: A total of 45 military personnel were assessed, including 25 diagnosed with arterial hypertension and 22 classified as non-hypertensive. The variables analyzed comprised age, years of service, body mass, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat percentage, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate, sleep duration, and weekly minutes of physical activity. Descriptive statistics were applied, and between-group comparisons were performed using the independent samples Student’s t-test, adopting a significance level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: The hypertensive group demonstrated significantly higher mean values for BMI (28.8 ± 2.8 kg/m2), WC (92.7 ± 7.8 cm), WHtR (0.53 ± 0.05), SBP (149 ± 6 mmHg), and DBP (86 ± 8 mmHg), along with a significantly shorter average sleep duration (6.2 ± 1.1 h), compared to the non-hypertensive group (BMI: 26.7 ± 3.5 kg/m2; WC: 86.3 ± 10.2 cm; SBP: 121 ± 8 mmHg; DBP: 75 ± 5 mmHg; sleep: 7.6 ± 0.6 h). Strong positive correlations were identified between BMI, WC, and blood pressure (r > 0.6; p < 0.001), while a moderate negative correlation was observed between sleep duration and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.41; p = 0.03). Alcohol consumption was also significantly associated with hypertension (p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: Even within a highly physically active population, central adiposity, insufficient sleep, and alcohol consumption emerge as significant factors associated with hypertension. These findings underscore the need for continuous institutional strategies focused on nutritional education, blood pressure management, and the promotion of occupational health among military police personnel.
KEYWORDS: hypertension, military personnel, body composition, sleep duration and cardiovascular health
