IMPACT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AMONG THE POLICE OFFICERS IN INDANG,

CAVITE

Undergraduate Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Criminal Justice
Cavite State University
Indang, Cavite

In partial fulfillment
of the requirement for the degree
Bachelor of Science in Criminology

AJERO, RYIJI MARIE R.

SUNGA, GIAN MARLO M.
VARIAS, DEXTER LEE C.
June 2024
 IMPACT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AMONG THE POLICE OFFICERS IN INDANG,
CAVITE.

AJERO, RYIJI MARIE R.

SUNGA, GIAN MARLO M.
VARIAS, DEXTER LEE C.

An undergraduate thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Criminal Justice,

Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Bachelor of Science in Criminology. Prepared under the supervision of Ms.
Marisa Lontoc.
___________________________________________________________________
___

INTRODUCTION

Physical Fitness refers to any body movement produced by skeletal muscles

that requires the consumption of energy to accomplish an activity stated by

Caspersen, C., Powell, K., Christenson, G. (1985). According to Newman (2021), it is

the capacity to carry out daily tasks with maximum efficiency, strength, and

endurance while managing illness, exhaustion, and stress as well as reducing

sedentary behavior. Also, another variable in this research are the police officer’s

health and physique for a healthy body is very crucial when it comes to police

officers. Adequate sleep, exercise and a healthy food diet can give you a good

amount of energy to achieve your work without physical interruption. Murphy (2021)

stated, the need for a healthy body does not only focuses for your body to look good,

but also to save your life in critical situations and increase your survivability as a

police officer. According to Harper (2021), An officer's fitness may have an impact on

the amount of force to be used when a scenario calls for expanding the use of force.

The officer's ability to perform their duties effectively could be significantly impacted if

their level of fitness is insufficient. Additionally, this could increase the chance of

death or severe physical harm. The related trend into this topic in the United States

of America, according to Kuhns J. , Maguire E. , Leach N. : Health Safety and

Wellness Program Case Studies in Law Enforcement (2015) Comprehensive

initiatives to enhance health, wellbeing, and safety among police personnel must thus
take into account a wide range of dangers. These risks include stress and

exhaustion, poor nutrition, and a variety of other physical and mental health problems

related to the nature of police jobs. In the researcher’s local trends, it is stated that

according to Tupas of The Philippine Star (2020), Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, the

officer in charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP), has launched a campaign

against obese police officers and has even instructed one of them to follow a yogurt

diet in order to lose weight. Gamboa declared that the body mass index, or BMI,

requirement that a police officer maintain his optimal weight will be vigorously

enforced. Gamboa announced that overweight police personnel will be prohibited

from attending training and other sorts of schooling for career progress and

promotion in order to enforce rigorous compliance. Gamboa also revealed that nearly

half of the nation's 190,000-strong police force is overweight or obese. According to

him, just 102,600 police officers, or 54%, are at their ideal weight, while 17,100, or

9%, are obese. In relating to the statistics given in the local data gathered by the

researchers, according to Title I, Section 13 of Republic Act No. 8551, " No person

shall be appointed as officer or member of the PNP unless he or she possesses the

following minimum qualifications: c) Must have passed the psychiatric/psychological,

drug and physical tests to be administered by the PNP or by any NAPOLCOM

accredited government hospital for the purpose of determining physical and mental

health”.

The topics and issues that the researchers aim to study are very relevant when it

comes to the benefit of the community. However, there may be lapses and difficulties

to achieve this study. One of the difficult factors the researchers foresee is the

gathering of data when it comes to the physical fitness status and history of our good

police officers, conflict when it comes to the schedule of the police officers and the

researchers, for our target respondents may be on duty or out of duty, attain a legal

consent to execute communication and interaction to the chosen police station.

Lastly, the researchers are weary when it comes to achieving the target number of

respondents.

As an amendment to the lapses and difficulties mentioned, the researchers have

established achievable solutions to solve the problems. The researchers will identify

the availability and schedule of the police officers for the convenience of the

researchers and the respondents, identify the routine of our law enforcement officers

in regard to their physical fitness activities to gather data about their health program.

Lastly, the researchers are aware about the possible low number of respondents.

With this, a low number of target respondents will be established while still committed

to acquiring accurate results.

With this, the researchers will determine the impact of physical fitness to the police

officers of the entire municipality of Indang, Cavite.

Statement of the Problem

Generally, this study aims to determine the impact of physical fitness among the

police officers of the Municipality of Indang, Cavite.

1. What type of physical category does the Police Officer have:

1.1 Overweight

1.2 Normal physique

1.3 Underweight

2. What physical categories are dominant in the following line of duties:

 2.1 Desk Jobs

2.2 Field Operations

3. How physical fitness affect the performance of the duties of police officer in

the Municipality of Indang, Cavite?

4. What is the significant relationship of physical fitness and line of duties of

police officers in Indang, Cavite.

Objectives of the Study

General Objectives

 This study aims to determine the impact of physical fitness to police officers.

Specific Objectives

 Specifically, it aims to determine the impact of physical fitness in the police

officers in Municipality of Indang, Cavite.

 Analyze what physical category is dominant in the line of duties of police

officers in Indang, Cavite.

Significance of the Study

 The Police Officers. This study will provide awareness and knowledge to our

police officers about the impact of physical fitness in performance of their duty

and on how it affects their physical and mental capability in executing their

duty.

 The Police Organization. This study can layout data and information in

setting standards and improving the performance of the members of the

organization.
  Future Researchers. This study benefits the future researchers in their future

research. They could use this as a basis for the research they would be

doing. It would also give them knowledge about the impact of physical fitness

on law enforcement.

Time and Place of the Study

The research is focused on the Impact of Physical Fitness Among the Police Officers

in Indang, Cavite. The Place of study is at Barangay Población, Indang, Cavite. The

respondents of this study are active police officers in Indang, Cavite. The

respondents are chosen based on the target of the researcher`s objectives.

Scope and Limitation

This study aims to determine the impact of physical fitness to police officers,

the study would involve selected police officers exclusively stationed in

Indang, Cavite. To protect the identity of the selected police officers their

names and information remains anonymous.

This study will be limited to the police officers that do not have illness or

disabled. The selected police officers must be non-commissioned officer and

member of non-uniformed personnel.

Hypothesis

This study about the impact of physical fitness to police officers is predicting

either of the two (2) different results which are the alternative hypothesis and the null

hypothesis. This hypothesis is a progression of discovery to create better

understandings or conclusions.

Alternative Hypothesis. Physical Fitness has an impact on the police officers of

Indang, Cavite.

Null Hypothesis. Physical Fitness has no impact on the police officers of Indang,

Cavite.

Scope and Limitation

This study aims to determine the impact of physical fitness to police officers,

the study would involve selected police officers exclusively stationed in

Indang, Cavite. In order to protect the identity of the selected police officers

their names and information remains anonymous.

This study will be limited to the police officers that do not have illness or

disabled. The selected police officers must be non-commissioned officer and

member of non-uniformed personnel.

Definition of Terms
 In this Part are the definitions used in the study in determining the impact of

physical fitness to the Police Officers in Indang, Cavite.

Desk Job. This is a duty of active military or police personnel that is based at

a desk or office setting. On top of that, the researchers will use this as one of

the domains to identify which physical category is dominant in this line of

work.

Field Operations. This is a job for military and police force that is executed in

the field to attain the safety of the public and maintain peace and order. To

add, the researchers will use this area to know the results on which physical

category is prominent in this kind of duty.

Police Officers. Individuals that are member of the Philippine National Police

(PNP). However, this study will focus on police individuals that has different

line duties on desk and field jobs.

Police Organization. A team of professionals with training in the

administration of public safety who work to achieve goals and objectives that

support the maintenance of peace and order, protection of life and property,

enforcing the law, and crime prevention. Furthermore, the researchers will

only give focus to the members of The Philippine National Police (PNP)

Physically Fit. The ability to carry out daily tasks with maximum efficiency,

strength, and endurance while managing illness, weariness, and stress as

well as reducing sedentary behavior. Additionally, this will be the domain of

the study for the researchers to identify the physical capabilities of the police

officers.

Normal physique. Physique of an individual that is fit to work without any

difficulty. This will be one of the factors which line of duty suits the police

officer.
 Underweight. Condition where an individual is under 18.5 in his or her

B.M.I... This physical characteristic will be one the details if a police officer is

capable of a certain task or job in the study.

Overweight. Condition where an individual is over 25.0 in his or her B.M.I…

This physical result will determine if a police officer is capable or not in a

certain task in this study.

Theoretical Framework

This study conducted by the researchers needs a purposeful framework that will

guide and supplement their study. The researchers managed to acquire various

theories that could guide them in conducting this study:

For the researcher`s primary theory,

Proactive Coping Theory.

This theory suggests that individuals actively anticipate potential stressors and take

preventive measures to deal with them effectively. In the context of police officers,

being physically fit can be seen as a proactive coping strategy to enhance resilience,

reduce stress, and improve overall job performance. This approach aligns with the

idea that maintaining good physical fitness can act as a proactive measure to handle

physical and mental stress.

Secondary theory

Self Determination Theory states that a person's behavior is a product of the

individual’s motivation, in relation to the police officers, police officers should be

motivated more in different aspects for them to be more stiving to keep their physical

and mental health fit for performance of their duties as a police officer.