The effects of prenatal vitamin supplementation on operationally significant health outcomes in female air force trainees.
OBJECTIVE
A prenatal vitamin supplementation program for female basic military trainees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was initiated in June 2012 with the goals of decreasing attrition and improving performance. This project examined whether supplementation influences attrition rates, incidence of stress fractures and iron deficiency anemia, and physical performance.


METHODS
This was a cohort-based pilot study with an historical control group. Primary outcome measures included all-cause attrition, medical attrition, stress fractures, and iron deficiency anemia.


RESULTS
Incidence rates of all-cause attrition, medical attrition, stress fractures, and anemia were similar in both groups, although the lower medical attrition in the supplementation group approached statistical significance (risk ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-1.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Although this study found no statistical benefit, the operationally significant reduction in medical attrition of 26% suggests that providing prenatal vitamin supplementation to female basic trainees in the Air Force may be worthwhile.
Directorate Force Health Protection, Canadian Forces Health Services Group Headquarters, 1745 Alta Vista Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0K6.
Kirsten R
KR
Barnes
Trainee Health Surveillance, 1515 Truemper Street, Bldg 6612 Rm 930, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX 78236.
Juste N
JN
Tchandja
Trainee Health Surveillance, 1515 Truemper Street, Bldg 6612 Rm 930, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX 78236.
Bryant J
BJ
Webber
Trainee Health Surveillance, 1515 Truemper Street, Bldg 6612 Rm 930, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX 78236.
Susan P
SP
Federinko
Trainee Health Surveillance, 1515 Truemper Street, Bldg 6612 Rm 930, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX 78236.
Thomas L
TL
Cropper
D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008889:Military Personnel; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011295:Prenatal Care; D014481:United States; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014815:Vitamins