Introduction Soldiers work in various extreme environments, including the High Arctic, where energy requirements are increased compared with temperate climates. Soldiers often do not reach their energy needs with combat rations and face additional challenges to feeding in the Artic, which can hinder the performance. The purpose of this study is to document soldiers’ perception about individual, dietary, and environmental factors influencing intake of combat rations during Arctic field training. Materials and Methods This qualitative phenomenological study included in-depth semi-structured individual interviews with 16 soldiers of the Canadian Armed Forces participating in the Arctic Operations Advisor training in Yellowknife (Northwest Territories) and Resolute Bay (Nunavut) from January to March 2019. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then coded using a directed content analysis approach. Data were analyzed with NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Results Five themes related to the individual (personal preferences; mood and morale), the diet (water availability; food variety), or the environment (meal preparation time) were identified. A sixth theme found was related to the diet and the environment (food/water temperature). Soldiers explained food and water were frozen, thus limiting water availability and greatly increasing meal preparation time. Food variety was deemed adequate by some, but others preferred more options. Individual food preferences and soldier mood and team morale could be barriers or facilitators to intake. Overall, the complexity of combat ration intake in the Arctic stemmed from the interaction of factors. Conclusions Various factors related to the individual, diet, and environment were found to influence intake of combat rations by participating soldiers during Arctic training. Reducing barriers to combat ration consumption by enhancing operational suitability of rations for the Arctic environment could promote dietary intake. Bearing in mind many interrelated factors influenced intake of soldiers, the military would benefit from further assessing which challenges related to intake in the field could be addressed.
Objectif. Documenter la perception des soldats des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) quant aux facteurs influençant leur apport alimentaire en rations de combat durant leur travail en Arctique. Méthodes. Un questionnaire bilingue électronique a été envoyé nationalement à des soldats s’étant entraînés dans l’Arctique entre 2015 et 2018. Il comportait 6 questions ouvertes et 33 fermées sur les facteurs influençant l’apport alimentaire et l’acceptabilité des rations. Résultats. Parmi les 54 questionnaires remplis (taux de réponse : 31 %), 6 étaient incomplets et ont été exclus. L’échantillon final était composé de 48 militaires de neuf provinces ayant en moyenne 12,1 ± 6,8 années d’expérience dans les FAC. Les facteurs ayant le plus d’effets négatifs sur l’apport alimentaire étaient la température des aliments, le fait de manger en se déplaçant, l’horaire des exercices et activités, ainsi que l’équipement nécessaire à la préparation et à la consommation. Les participants ont déclaré avoir consommé entre 61 et 71 % des rations. Ils ont noté qu’un temps considérable était nécessaire pour préparer les rations puisqu’elles étaient congelées. Soixante-cinq pour cent des soldats ont rapporté une perte de poids durant leur travail dans l’Arctique. Conclusions. Une multitude de facteurs a influencé l’apport et les pratiques alimentaires des soldats. Ces résultats guideront les recherches futures et aideront à la prise de décisions concernant de possibles changements aux rations en Arctique.
Conclusion:Ce projet a permis de documenter que selon la perception des employés des FAC qui travaillent en nutrition plusieurs facteurs contribuent à un apport alimentaire non optimal en rations de combat des soldats.
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