Are tests of Police Are tests of Police Fitness accurate?Fitness accurate?

How a ‘gender-neutral’ How a ‘gender-neutral’ physical fitness test can physical fitness test can actually discriminateactually discriminate

Professor David WilsonProfessor David WilsonHead of Centre for Applied CriminologyHead of Centre for Applied Criminology

Professor Craig A. JacksonProfessor Craig A. JacksonHead of Division of PsychologyHead of Division of Psychology

Faculty of Education, Law & Social SciencesFaculty of Education, Law & Social SciencesSchool of Social SciencesSchool of Social Sciences

Winsor Review of Policing 2012Winsor Review of Policing 2012

• UK police forces urged to use fitness tests as large-scale

cost-effective measures of officers’ fitness to work

•Commences Sept 2013 •Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course (GeNTOC)

•Must be completed within 3min 45sec, regardless of sex.

Disproportionate female failure rate?

Evidence of discrimination?

Potential for litigation?

Improvements to the test process?

BackgroundBackground to the testto the test

GeNTOC Indoor obstacle course:

• Gender-neutral

• Three laps

• Complete within 3mins 45secs

• Each lap contains 8 obstacles

• Re-take any obstacle failed

• Not completed within time = Fail

Obstacle CourseObstacle Course

Three laps of…Three laps of…

• Crawl

• Jump

• Stairs

• Balance beam

• Gate duck

• Weave

• Cone carry

• Body drag

Demographic breakdownDemographic breakdown of 1,701of 1,701

Demographic breakdownDemographic breakdown of 1,701of 1,701

1,701 Participants

Males 914 (54%)

Females 787 (46%)

Demographic breakdownDemographic breakdown of 1,701of 1,701

Demographic breakdownDemographic breakdown of 1,701of 1,701

Demographic breakdownDemographic breakdown of 1,701of 1,701

Overall Overall PerformancePerformance

22.1% completed 22.1% completed

but outside the timebut outside the time

23.5 % total candidates 23.5 % total candidates

screened outscreened out

Total lap times (3 laps)Total lap times (3 laps)

Females perform more poorly than MalesFemales perform more poorly than Males

Males n=914Males n=914 Females n=787Females n=787 PP

Age 27 (6) 26.5 (6) 0.09

Height cm 174.5 (6.6) 165.7 (6.7) 0.00

Weight kg 81.7 (11.9) 67.3 (10.3) 0.00

BMI 25.6 (3.2) 24.5 (3.3) 0.00

Underweight 9 (2%) 8 (1%) NS

Normal 359 (39%) 464 (59%) <0.05

Overweight 460 (50%) 262 (33%) NS

Obese 85 (9%) 54 (7%) <0.001

Fail to complete 8 (0.8%) 18 (2.2%)

Complete 3 laps 906 (99%) 769 (97%)

Complete in time 842 (93%) 459 (60%) 0.000

Lap time #1 01:08 (6) 01:14 (6) 0.000

Lap time #2 01:06 (6) 01:15 (8) 0.000

Lap time #3 01:07 (6) 01:15 (9) 0.000

3 lap total 03:21 (15) 03:46 (20) 0.000

English pop (2008)

Male obese 24% Female obese 25%

English pop (2008)

Male obese 24% Female obese 25%

English pop (2008)Male overweight 42% Female overweight 32%

English pop (2008)Male overweight 42% Female overweight 32%

Obstacle errorsObstacle errors

Key PointsKey Points

1.One in four candidates (24%) failed the Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course) and of those who passed it, 49% were overweight or obese.

2. Test success was closely attributed to obstacle performance, and females were significantly more error-prone than males on two distinct obstacles, probably hindered by physiology.

3. The test discriminated against females when competing to an identical time cut-off point for both sexes

4. As such we consider the Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course is not a useful screening tool for identifying unfit police officers or for highlighting ‘fitness’ among police officers.

SummarySummaryFemale discriminationFemale discrimination

•40% of Females fail (only 7% of Males fail)

•Prev. Ratio - Females 8.8 more likely to fail

40% Females overweight / obese

59% Males overweight / obese

•Weave obstacle: poorer than males (P=0.008)

•Body drag obstacle: poorer than males (P=0.000)

SummarySummaryWeight indiscrimination Weight indiscrimination

•Only fails 25% of all candidates

80% with normal BMI pass

75% of overweight / obese BMI pass

•Of 1,302 completing within time:

1% underweight

50% normal weight

43% overweight (of these 75% were males)

6% obese (of these 80% were males)

ImplicationsImplicationsOfficer healthOfficer health

Not enough Female officers being recruited

Not enough unfit officers screened out

Overweight officers at increased risk of:

Musculoskeletal hazards

Cardiovascular disease

Psychosocial issues (shift work)

Personal protective equipment failure

ImplicationsImplicationsLaw enforcementLaw enforcement

Loss of public confidence

Inability to police effectively

Crime detection

Crime prevention

Public order

General poor level of policing

SolutionsSolutions

Adopt a different test

If not, then make changes to current test:

•Widen weave obstacles

•Re-order some obstacles (Body drag)

•Use different cut off times for sexes

•Use exam conditions

•Suitable clothing / uniform

•Allow practices

Jackson CA, Wilson D. The Gender-Neutral Timed Obstacle Course: a valid test of police fitness? Occup Med (Lond) 2013: 63 (7): 479-484