Evaluating the Nutrition Intake of U.S. Military Service Members in Garrison

Abstract

Sparse information exists on the nutrition intake of U.S. military service members in a garrison setting. The purpose of this study was to assess the eating habits of a small group of service members who had not deployed in the preceding 12 months. Nutrition intake was measured using an online food frequency questionnaire and anthropometric measurements taken. Correlations were used to assess relationships between total caloric intake and sex, age, weight, waist circumference, body mass index, rank, marital status, history in a service-specific weight control program, and time in service. There were 39 subjects (18 males, 21 females) enrolled. There was a significant difference in total caloric intake between males and females (p = 0.040). The relationships of total caloric intake to both weight and waist circumference were significant (r = 0.425, p = 0.007 and r = 0.393, p = 0.013). There was a modest relationship between total caloric intake and sex (r = 0.331, p = 0.040) and history in a weight control program (r = -0.313, p = 0.052). There was no significant correlation between body mass index, age, rank, marital status, time in service, and total caloric intake. These relationships may partially explain the eating habits of service members in garrison. Future studies should further assess intake and influential additional factors, such as deployments.

Relationship between general nutrition knowledge and diet quality in Australian military personnel

“…Although no studies linking nutrition knowledge and food intake have been conducted in military personnel, numerous studies (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25) have reported dietary intake in this population to be inconsistent with public health and/or military nutrition recommendations. Characteristics of studies reporting poor dietary intake in this population include excessive consumption of fat, particularly SFA, unbalanced eating patterns with increased serves of 'extras' or 'treat' foods and inadequate fruit, vegetable and whole-grain consumption.…”

Dietary Assessment Methods in Military and Veteran Populations: A Scoping Review

“…Research to date has shown that the health, fitness and performance of military personnel is highly reliant on their nutritional status during training, and, therefore, their readiness to be deployed can be negatively affected by suboptimal nutrient intakes [2][3][4][5]. This is particularly relevant to service members in combat roles when on base preparing/training for field deployment [6]. To support their training, a focus on a healthy and optimal diet is essential for facilitating training adaptations, recovery, maintenance of health, and career progression within the military.…”

“…The dietary requirements of active military personnel vary according to their occupation and work environment due to the differing physical and mental workloads across the vast range of roles and environments in which military personnel operate [6,9,10]. Considering [11,12].…”

“…The guidelines also consider context specific factors such as the physical activity levels of military personnel and environmental elements, such as extremely hot desert environments [14]. Similarly, in Australia, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) also follows military specific dietary guidelines [15], which are based on the Australian Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) [6]. Similar to in the USA, the guidelines take into account the various occupations and scenarios encountered by military personnel and their often increased macronutrients requirements.…”

“…Within the same garrison, the type of personnel must also be taken into account, for example, special forces personnel are likely to have much higher energy demands than personnel completing desk-based tasks [11,19]. In contrast, veterans acquire most of their daily dietary intake in a home/community environment similar to the general population [6,20]. Numerous studies have reported on the dietary intakes within military and veteran populations [21][22][23][24][25].…”