INJURY RISKS IN RELATION TO GENDER AND AEROBIC ENDURANCE IN US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Studies in Basic Combat Training (BCT) have shown aerobic fitness partially accounts for gender differences in injury rates among recruits (Bell, Am J Prev Med 18:85, 2000). However, no studies have examined this phenomenon in other Army training environments. PURPOSE This study examined gender differences in injuries during Ordnance Advanced Individual Training (AIT) (vehicle repair and maintenance occupational specialties). METHODS Subjects were 2303 men and 256 women. Outpatient injury data were collected from a medical surveillance system at the health clinic used by all Ordnance AIT soldiers. Gender was obtained from a questionnaire, and aerobic endurance was determined from a maximal effort 2-mile run. Cox regression was used to obtain risk ratios (RR), adjusted risk ratios (ARR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS Time loss injury rates were 1.25 injuries per soldier-year for men and 1.89 injuries per soldier-year for women. Rates for time loss overuse injuries were 0.92 injuries per soldier-year for men and 1.63 injuries per soldier-year for women. Univariate Cox regression showed that women were more likely to suffer a time loss injury (RR = 1.8, CI = 1.5–2.2) and more likely to suffer a time loss overuse injury (RR = 2.1, CI = 1.7–2.6) when compared to men. In the multivariate Cox regression, when controlling for 2-mile run time, the effect of gender was not significant for any time loss injury (ARR = 0.99, CI = 0.75–1.29) or for time loss overuse injuries (ARR = 1.16, CI = 0.87–1.56). CONCLUSION In consonance with data from BCT, female soldiers are at greater risk of getting injured than men during Ordnance AIT, but this difference in risk was not significant when aerobic endurance was controlled for.