title: Injuries and injury risk factors among British army infantry soldiers during predeployment training.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This prospective cohort study examined injuries and injury risk factors in 660 British Army infantry soldiers during a predeployment training cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Soldiers completed a questionnaire concerning physical characteristics, occupational factors, lifestyle characteristics (including physical training time) and previous injury. Direct measurements included height, body mass, sit-ups, push-ups and run time. Electronic medical records were screened for injuries over a 1-year period before operational deployment. Backward-stepping Cox regression calculated HR and 95% CI to quantify independent injury risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One or more injuries were experienced by 58.5% of soldiers. The new injury diagnosis rate was 88 injuries/100 person-years. Most injuries involved the lower body (71%), especially the lower back (14%), knee (19%) and ankle (15%). Activities associated with injury included sports (22%), physical training (30%) and military training/work (26%). Traumatic injuries accounted for 83% of all injury diagnoses. Independent risk factors for any injury were younger age (17-19 years (HR 1.0), 20-24 years (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.93), 25-29 years (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.19) and 30-43 years (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.63), previous lower limb injury (yes/no HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.87) and previous lower back injury (yes/no HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.63).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  British infantry injury rates were lower than those reported for US infantry (range 101-223 injuries/100 soldier-years), and younger age and previous injury were identified as independent risk factors. Future efforts should target reducing the incidence of traumatic injuries, especially those related to physical training and/or sports.
authors.affiliation: Optimal Performance Limited, Bristol, UK. david@optimalperformance.co.uk
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Sam D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Blacker
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.forename: Fleur E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Horner
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rayson
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiess
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Knapik
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult