Prediction of Injuries and Injury Types in Army Basic Training, Infantry, Armor, and Cavalry Trainees Using a Common Fitness Screen

Abstract

Context: Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) are among the most important challenges facing our military. They influence career success and directly affect military readiness. Several methods of screening initial entry training (IET) soldiers are being tested in an effort to predict which soldiers will sustain an MSI and to develop injury-prevention programs. The Army 1-1-1 Fitness Assessment was examined to determine if it could be used as a screening and MSI prediction mechanism in male IET soldiers.Objective: To determine if a relationship existed among the Army 1-1-1 Fitness Assessment results and MSI, MSI type, and program of instruction (POI) in male IET soldiers.Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Fort Benning, Georgia. Patients or Other Participants: Male Army IET soldiers (N ¼ 1788).Main Outcome Measure(s): The likelihood of sustaining acute and overuse MSI was modelled using separate logistic regression analyses. The POI, run time, push-ups and sit-ups (combined into a single score), and IET soldier age were tested as predictors in a series of linear models.Results: With POI controlled, slower run time, fewer push-ups and sit-ups, and older age were positively correlated with acute MSI; only slower run time was correlated with overuse MSI. For both MSI types, cavalry POIs had a higher risk of acute and overuse MSIs than did basic combat training, armor, or infantry POIs.Conclusions: The 1-1-1 Fitness Assessment predicted both the likelihood of MSI occurrence and type of MSI (acute or overuse). One-mile (1.6-km) run time predicted both overuse and acute MSIs, whereas the combined push-up and sit-up score predicted only acute MSIs. The MSIs varied by type of training (infantry, basic, armor, cavalry), which allowed the development of prediction equations by POI. We determined 1-1-1 Fitness Assessment cutoff scores for each event, thereby allowing the evaluation to be used as an MSI screening mechanism for IET soldiers.

Ability of fitness testing to predict injury risk during initial tactical training: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Eleven studies included both male and female participants. Eight articles followed males only,5 14 25 27 32 34 38 40 five followed females only13 14 21 26 33 and three studies did not report sexes of their participants 35–37…”

“…Common tasks may include carrying loads over distance, responding to disasters, negotiating harsh terrain, subduing human threats, evacuating casualties and performing heavy physical labour, such as digging, chopping and lifting 2 3. In order to work under these varied and often extreme physical demands, many tactical organisations assess the physical fitness of personnel against departmental standards prior to entry, during training and at regular intervals during service 4 5…”

Fatores de risco de lesões musculoesqueléticas em militares

“…Um estudo realizado na Marinha do Brasil demonstrou que a demanda metabólica das atividades físicas laborais diminuem com o avançar da idade e a progressão da carreira 22 . Segundo os resultados de estudos mais recentes, militares mais velhos apresentam um maior risco de lesões agudas, enquanto os mais jovens têm um maior risco de lesões por excesso de uso (overuse) 23 . Indivíduos de ambos os sexos e mais de 30 anos de idade apresentam o dobro de chance de desenvolverem lesões durante o treinamento físico militar 24 .…”

“…Militares com piores índices nos Testes de Cooper ou testes de 1.609 m (1 milha), possuem um risco mais elevado de desenvolverem lesões agudas ou por excesso de uso 6,23,28 . A probabilidade de militares se lesionarem aumenta de forma diretamente proporcional ao tempo dispendido para concluir tais testes 6,23 . Uma estratégia preventiva é realizar treinamentos direcionados para os grupos menos condicionados, antes que eles sejam submetidos a maiores volumes de treinamento 4 .…”

What is the impact of fitness on injury risk during police academy training? A retrospective cohort study

“…Injuries in tactical training present a twofold problem for tactical organizations. Firstly, there are the intrinsic financial and time loss burdens the organization accrues [9]. Apart from the costs of any rehabilitation or compensation, it can cost an organization more than $85,000 AUD to identify a new trainee to replace the one lost due to training injury [10].…”