BREAST HEALTH BREAST HEALTH
AND BRA CONSIDERATIONS FOR FEMALE OFFICERS
Dr Jenny Burbage, of Portsmouth University’s Research Group in Breast Health, discusses her work carried out in collaboration with Oscar Kilo that aims to address the correlation between bra choices and breast health for female officers
As the number of female police officers increases, there is an increased importance to understand issues relating to female-specific health and wellbeing. Breast health can significantly impact a female’s occupational performance, health and overall wellbeing. The Research Group in Breast Health (RGBH) at the University of Portsmouth has been investigating breast biomechanics, breast health issues (such as breast pain, damage and poor bra fit) and functional breast support requirements since 2005 and are world-leading experts in this niche field with more than 100 peer- reviewed publications. Police activity is physically demanding,
12 | POLICE | DECEMBER | 2023
and officers are required to routinely perform strenuous physical activities (such as running). It is well established in breast health literature that a high support sports bra is a necessary item of equipment to reduce breast movement and breast pain during running. Problematically, only 17 per cent of female police officers are reported to wear a sports bra when on duty, with the predominant bra type (71 per cent) being underwired. Concerningly, poorly fitted underwired bra support can lead to pain, discomfort, and even soft tissue damage due to rubbing and chafing; an underwire bra could also be a hazard due to the wire which could become a projectile if stabbed or shot at.
Follow-up research identified a sports bra was more suitable than an underwired bra for most police activities. However, high support sports bras have historically been designed for short duration wear during high-intensity activity and the suitability of these bras for long-term wear, as found in operational police duties or for prolonged use and interaction with body armour, is currently unknown. Clearly, there is a need to better understand the impact of bra type choices among female police officers.
Many police duties are undertaken whilst wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as body armour. To date, the design and development
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