Prevalence of obesity and associated health risks in soldiers of the German Armed Forces

IF 2.9 4区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology Pub Date : 2024-04-15 DOI:10.1186/s12995-024-00411-y

Lorenz Scheit, Jan Schröder, Selina Will, Rüdiger Reer, Manuela Andrea Hoffmann

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Abstract

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. 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. 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. Our data underscore the importance of targeting obesity-related health risk factors in soldiers to ensure their well-being and deployment readiness.

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德国武装部队士兵的肥胖症患病率及相关健康风险

西方民主国家武装部队中的肥胖率正在上升，影响了军事准备和健康。这凸显了预防性健康风险评估和对策的必要性。利用 2018 年至 2022 年的强制性健康检查数据，我们分析了德国武装部队 43214 名士兵的肥胖患病率、健康风险以及相关的特定军事风险因素（军衔和部队）。统计方法包括χ2或然率和二元逻辑回归。肥胖（体重指数≥ 30）的发生率为 18.0%。男性士兵（OR = 3.776）和拥有军官军衔的士兵（OR = 1.244）肥胖的几率增加。在作战部队服役可降低肥胖几率（OR = 0.886）。考虑到体重指数和腰围，总样本中有 2.4% 面临极高的心血管和代谢健康风险，而分别有 11.0% 和 11.6% 面临极高或高健康风险。我们的数据强调了针对士兵肥胖相关健康风险因素的重要性，以确保他们的健康和部署准备就绪。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

6.00

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

19 weeks

期刊介绍： Aimed at clinicians and researchers, the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology is a multi-disciplinary, open access journal which publishes original research on the clinical and scientific aspects of occupational and environmental health. With high-quality peer review and quick decision times, we welcome submissions on the diagnosis, prevention, management, and scientific analysis of occupational diseases, injuries, and disability. The journal also covers the promotion of health of workers, their families, and communities, and ranges from rehabilitation to tropical medicine and public health aspects.