Female UK Army Service personnel are at greater risk of work-related morbidity on return to duty postpartum

Cordell, Robin; Wickes, C K; Casey, Albert E.; Greeves, Julie P.

doi:10.1136/jramc-2019-001282

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The number of working days lost due to illness and injury per week was twofold higher postpartum than prepregnancy (14). Postnatal depression and gynecological disorders were the most common causes of workdays lost due to illness (14). Similarly, several studies have shown that U.S. military servicewomen are returning to work unprepared for the demands of their role because of reduced physical fitness compared with prepregnancy, and with symptoms of depression and anxiety (15,16).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As of October 1, 2020, 99% of servicewomen who went on maternity leave returned to work within 27 to 40 wk after giving birth (3). Recent data suggest that postpartum UK servicewomen are at greater risk of illness and injury in the year after giving birth compared with prepregnancy (14). The number of working days lost due to illness and injury per week was twofold higher postpartum than prepregnancy (14).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent data suggest that postpartum UK servicewomen are at greater risk of illness and injury in the year after giving birth compared with prepregnancy (14). The number of working days lost due to illness and injury per week was twofold higher postpartum than prepregnancy (14). Postnatal depression and gynecological disorders were the most common causes of workdays lost due to illness (14).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Legacy of Pregnancy: Elite Athletes and Women in Arduous Occupations

Jackson

Bostock

Hassan

et al. 2022

Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews

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Best-practice guidance and management of pregnant and postpartum elite athletes and women in arduous occupations is limited by the lack of high-quality evidence available within these populations. We have summarized the adaptations and implications of pregnancy and childbirth, proposed a novel integrative concept to address these changes, and made recommendations to progress research in this area.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Legacy of Pregnancy: Elite Athletes and Women in Arduous Occupations

Jackson

Bostock

Hassan

et al. 2022

Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…UK servicewomen can return to physically and psychologically demanding roles after 2 weeks of compulsory maternity leave. Previous data show that British Army servicewomen return to work within the first year after childbirth and are at greater risk of illness and injury during this time than before pregnancy [ 31 ]. US military servicewomen do not achieve prepregnancy fitness levels at 6 months following childbirth [ 32 - 34 ], and servicewomen commonly experience symptoms of fatigue, depression, and anxiety upon returning to work [ 33 , 35 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Efficacy of an 18-Week Postpartum Rehabilitation and Physical Development Intervention on Occupational Physical Performance and Musculoskeletal Health in UK Servicewomen: Protocol for an Independent Group Study Design

Elliott‐Sale¹,

Bostock²,

Jackson³

et al. 2022

JMIR Res Protoc

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Background Postpartum women are at an increased risk of pelvic floor dysfunction, musculoskeletal injury, and poor psychological health and have reduced physical fitness compared to before pregnancy. There is no formal, evidence-based rehabilitation and physical development program for returning UK servicewomen to work following childbirth. Objective This study aims to examine the efficacy of a rehabilitation and physical development intervention for returning postpartum UK servicewomen to occupational fitness. Methods Eligible servicewomen will be assigned to a training or control group in a nonrandomized controlled trial 6 weeks after childbirth. Group allocation will be based on the location of standard pregnancy and postpartum care. The control group will receive standard care, with no prescribed intervention. The training group will start an 18-week core and pelvic health rehabilitation program 6 weeks post partum and a 12-week resistance and high-intensity interval training program 12 weeks post partum. All participants will attend 4 testing sessions at 6, 12, 18, and 24 weeks post partum for the assessment of occupational physical performance, pelvic health, psychological well-being, quality of life, and musculoskeletal health outcomes. Occupational physical performance tests will include vertical jump, mid-thigh pull, seated medicine ball throw, and a timed 2-km run. Pelvic health tests will include the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system, the PERFECT (power, endurance, repetitions, fast, every contraction timed) scheme for pelvic floor strength, musculoskeletal physiotherapy assessment, the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory–20 questionnaire, and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Vaginal Symptoms. Psychological well-being and quality of life tests will include the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Musculoskeletal health outcomes will include body composition; whole-body areal bone mineral density; tibial volumetric bone mineral density, geometry, and microarchitecture; patella tendon properties; muscle architecture; muscle protein and collagen turnover; and muscle mass and muscle breakdown. Data will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, with participants included as random effects, and group and time as fixed effects to assess within- and between-group differences over time. Results This study received ethical approval in April 2019 and recruitment started in July 2019. The study was paused in March 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment restarted in May 2021. The results are expected in September 2022. Conclusions This study will inform the best practice for the safe and optimal return of postpartum servicewomen to physically and mentally demanding jobs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04332757; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04332757 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/32315

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“…Responding to a gender data gap in defence that is also evident in wider society, as described in the editorial by Greeves et al ,2 this supplement has been curated to evaluate sex differences in musculoskeletal injuries in training3 and the trained strength,4 the biomechanics of load carriage,5 the cognitive responses to load carriage,6 and the prevalence of, and risk factors for, mental ill-health 7. We also discuss unique challenges for women, including the prevalence of injury and illness on return to work following childbirth,8 and both the prevalence of hormonal contraceptive use9 and influence of hormonal contraceptive use on bone metabolism 10. Defence quipment and support have worked with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine to define the optimal sizes of body armour plates for the female soldier using CT scans and the most recent anthropometric survey 11.…”

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confidence: 99%