Umeå universitets logga

The police profession is a high-strain and high-risk profession, sometimes resulting in poor health. Although preceding reviews have synthesized police officers’ health, their lifestyle from an occupational perspective has not been synthesized. This systematic review aims to identify crucial areas for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle by investigating the life contexts of patrolling police officers in the European Union. The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. A protocol was scientifically published and also registered with PROSPERO. Searches were carried out in eight databases, locating patrolling officers’ life contexts. Two independent authors screened articles and critically appraised the remaining studies using MMAT. A narrative synthesis (Popayet al., 2006) was conducted, including assessing the total body of evidence using GRADE-CERQual.16 articles were located. The findings of what constitutes a healthy and sustainable lifestyle were analyzed and linked to a framework of life balance(Matuska & Christiansen, 2008). Subsequently, a linkage model was created to explain how different barriers and resources for life balance affects patrolling officers' health (physical, social and mental). The result indicates that crucial areas in patrolling officers' life contexts affect their opportunities of living a balanced lifestyle. Depending on which part is compromised it might disturb aspects of health. There view complements earlier reviews by adding occupational science to police research. Thus, contributing to the understanding of what constitutes a balanced lifestyle for patrolling officers, and providing insight into which crucial areas affect their lifestyle and health.