title: A comparison of injuries, limited-duty days, and injury risk factors in infantry, artillery, construction engineers, and special forces soldiers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared injuries/risk factors in infantry soldiers (I), construction engineers (CE), combat artillery (CA), and Special Forces (SF) during their operational and fitness activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anthropometrics, ethnicity, and fitness data were collected before review of medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Injury rates for I, CE, and CA were 4.0, 7.2, and 5.5 injuries/100 soldier-months, respectively; over 70% of them resulted from overuse. SF soldiers had an injury rate of 3.5 injuries/100 soldier-months, 50% of them reported as traumatic. Average limited-duty days (LDDs) were threefold higher in SF. Smoking, BMI > or =25, and APFT run time for 3.2 km >14 minutes were risk factors in I. Caucasian ethnicity, height <170.2 cm, weight > or =90 kg, and BMI > or =25 were risk factors in CE and CA. Age >27 years old was a risk factor in SF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater emphasis should be placed on risk factor identification and testing strategies to reduce injuries among SF and other troops.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA.
authors.forename: Katy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Ludmila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cosio-Lima
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bovill
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tharion
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Tabitha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hodges
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel; D009043:Motor Activity; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*