Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces
Abstract Background Obesity rates are rising in the armed forces of Western democratic countries, impacting military readiness and health. This highlights the need for preventive health risk assessments and countermeasures. Methods Using mandatory health examination data from 2018 to 2022, we analyz...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-024-00411-y |
| _version_ | 1827276833132904448 |
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| author | Lorenz Scheit Jan Schröder Selina Will Rüdiger Reer Manuela Andrea Hoffmann |
| author_facet | Lorenz Scheit Jan Schröder Selina Will Rüdiger Reer Manuela Andrea Hoffmann |
| author_sort | Lorenz Scheit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Obesity rates are rising in the armed forces of Western democratic countries, impacting military readiness and health. This highlights the need for preventive health risk assessments and countermeasures. Methods Using mandatory health examination data from 2018 to 2022, we analyzed the prevalence of obesity, health risks, and associated specific military risk factors (rank and unit) in 43,214 soldiers of the German Armed Forces. Statistical methods included χ2 contingencies and binary logistic regressions. Results The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was 18.0%. Male soldiers (OR = 3.776) and those with an officer’s rank (OR = 1.244) had an increased chance for obesity. Serving in a combat unit reduced the chance of being obese (OR = .886). Considering BMI and waist circumference, 2.4% of the total sample faced extremely high cardiovascular and metabolic health risks, while 11.0% and 11.6% had very high or high health risks, respectively. Conclusions Our data underscore the importance of targeting obesity-related health risk factors in soldiers to ensure their well-being and deployment readiness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:10:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5bfd6591b2e74c37bf5acace06580e3b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1745-6673 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:10:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5bfd6591b2e74c37bf5acace06580e3b2024-04-21T11:34:24ZengBMCJournal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology1745-66732024-04-011911910.1186/s12995-024-00411-yPrevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed ForcesLorenz Scheit0Jan Schröder1Selina Will2Rüdiger Reer3Manuela Andrea Hoffmann4Clinic I—Internal Medicine, Bundeswehr Hospital HamburgFaculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Institute for Human Movement Science, Department of Sports Medicine, University of HamburgClinic I—Internal Medicine, Bundeswehr Hospital HamburgFaculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Institute for Human Movement Science, Department of Sports Medicine, University of HamburgInstitute for Preventive Medicine of the German Armed ForcesAbstract Background Obesity rates are rising in the armed forces of Western democratic countries, impacting military readiness and health. This highlights the need for preventive health risk assessments and countermeasures. Methods Using mandatory health examination data from 2018 to 2022, we analyzed the prevalence of obesity, health risks, and associated specific military risk factors (rank and unit) in 43,214 soldiers of the German Armed Forces. Statistical methods included χ2 contingencies and binary logistic regressions. Results The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was 18.0%. Male soldiers (OR = 3.776) and those with an officer’s rank (OR = 1.244) had an increased chance for obesity. Serving in a combat unit reduced the chance of being obese (OR = .886). Considering BMI and waist circumference, 2.4% of the total sample faced extremely high cardiovascular and metabolic health risks, while 11.0% and 11.6% had very high or high health risks, respectively. Conclusions Our data underscore the importance of targeting obesity-related health risk factors in soldiers to ensure their well-being and deployment readiness.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-024-00411-yBundeswehrArmed forcesMilitary readinessBody mass indexWaist circumferenceOverweight |
| spellingShingle | Lorenz Scheit Jan Schröder Selina Will Rüdiger Reer Manuela Andrea Hoffmann Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology Bundeswehr Armed forces Military readiness Body mass index Waist circumference Overweight |
| title | Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces |
| title_full | Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces |
| title_short | Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces |
| title_sort | prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the german armed forces |
| topic | Bundeswehr Armed forces Military readiness Body mass index Waist circumference Overweight |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-024-00411-y |
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