Smoking, BMI and psychological strain and fitness in the Naval Service.
BACKGROUND
Data from the Naval Service (NS) cohort study of psychological strain were extracted and analysed to investigate the relationship between self-reported health and lifestyle factors and medical fitness. Identification of factors associated with medical downgrading is of obvious value in shaping future health and safety policy and in understanding the relative contributions of physical and psychosocial factors to adverse occupational health outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
To identify variables associated with a lack of fitness to serve.


METHODS
Extraction and analysis of data from the Phase I of the study, with a binary outcome of fitness as the dependent variable, controlling for psychosocial and other confounders.


RESULTS
Stepwise logistic regression analysis found statistically significant effects due to smoking, body mass index (BMI), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 and work-family conflict. The model accounted for 5.6% of the variance in medical grading, 3% of which was due to smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
With psychosocial factors and GHQ-12 scores accounted for, personnel who were not fully fit for NS were found to be more likely to be smokers and to have a high BMI (> or =25).
Bridger
Robert
R
Human Factors Department, Institute of Naval Medicine, Alverstoke, UK. hhfd@inm.mod.uk
Munnoch
Kathy
K
Dew
Angela
A
Brasher
Kate
K
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009326:Naval Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*