Contact: Michelle M. Yore, MSPH
(508) 233-4847
michelle.yore@na.amedd.army.mil

U.S. Army soldiers have generally become healthier over the last decade, although room for improvement still exists in certain areas, according to a study.

In both 1991 and 1997-1998, Army researchers surveyed soldiers -- who are often left out of national health behavior surveys -- to determine how their health behaviors measured up to Healthy People 2000, a set of national goals for improving the health of Americans.

"Improving health behaviors among soldiers now, while they are predominantly young and healthy, is likely to yield significant future health, economic, and quality of life benefits," said lead author Michelle M. Yore, MSPH, of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.

Soldiers surpassed the Healthy People 2000 goals for physical fitness, according to Yore and colleagues, who examined 78,256 soldier questionnaires completed in 1991, and 59,771 questionnaires completed in 1997-1998.

In 1997-1998 for example, 70 percent of the soldiers surveyed reported engaging in aerobic activity at least three times a week, and 97 percent reported doing muscle strengthening exercises at least once a week -- far more than the Healthy People 2000 goals for the U.S. population of 20 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

"This is not surprising, as Army personnel are required to participate in regular physical fitness training and must pass periodic physical fitness tests consisting of a timed two-mile run, push-ups, and sit-ups," said Yore.

Between 1991 and 1997-1998, Army soldiers adopted healthier behaviors in the nutrition, safety, and alcohol use categories. Soldiers exceeded Healthy People 2000 goals for eating high-fiber foods and using bicycle helmets, the researchers found.

In 1997-1998 only 7 percent of soldiers surveyed reported drinking ten or more alcoholic drinks per week, down from 9 percent in 1991. The Healthy People 2000 goal is consumption of no more than ten alcoholic drinks a week. However, in spite of this small improvement, other studies indicate that Army soldiers still engage in more episodes of heavy drinking than their civilian counterparts.

The Army health improvements can in part be explained by the fact that soldiers are culled from the general population. "The civilian population has become healthier, using less alcohol and tobacco and exercising more frequently, and is more safety conscious," said Yore.

The study results appear in the August 2000 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

With the exception of one racial subgroup, the Army did not meet Healthy People 2000 goals for reducing tobacco use to 20 percent. African-American soldiers met the goal by reducing their smoking prevalence to 18 percent, but general smoking prevalence in the Army is 26 percent.

"Perhaps smoking cessation can be successfully integrated into the Army population lifestyle just as physical fitness training has been over the past decade," suggested Yore.

In 1997-1998, 12 percent of soldiers surveyed used smokeless tobacco, far short of the 4 percent Healthy People 2000 goal. "Smokeless tobacco use has increased, and more research is needed to identify risk factors for this activity," said Yore.

Goals for eating less fat and using less salt were not met. Nor did soldiers meet the seat-belt use goal of 85 percent. However, 65 percent of the soldiers used seat-belts compared with 42 percent among the U.S. civilian population.

Tracking of Army health behaviors should continue, according to the researchers. "Military health promotion benefits readiness, reduces health care costs to the taxpayers, and improves the quality of life for individual soldiers," said Yore.

This study was funded by grants from the Defense Women's Health Research Program and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, sponsored by the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine and the American College of Preventive Medicine, is published eight times a year by Elsevier Science. The Journal is a forum for the communication of information, knowledge, and wisdom in prevention science, education, practice, and policy. For more information about the Journal, contact the editorial office at (619) 594-7344.