Military Members Research Articles

Značaj medijske pismenosti za pripadnike vojske

Abstract: The phrase "media literacy" is becoming ever more present in daily communication. The importance of media literacy is a significant guide for the orientation of members of the military in contemporary media arena dominated by a pronounced dichotomy in the field of effects of media content. New media have given numerous advantages to the life of a modern man. On the other hand, the hyperproduction of false news, fabricated information and interpretations, which often mix fragments of truth and falsehood, have created information disorder in the public sphere having a powerful potential to adversely affect decision-making process, combat morale, reputation and the system of values of soldiers and military leaders. Every day, mass communication media produce narratives which have become a powerful weapon for the production of meaning and reality construction. Media literacy should not be observed solely as a defensive paradigm and a shield against harmful effects of media content, but as a powerful mechanism to recognise and use all those benefits offered by modern digital technologies. The aim of this work is to point out the need to raise awareness of the importance of media literacy as an important competence of members of 21st century military.

Military families with young children with disabilities: Families’ and providers’ perceptions

Active duty military families have unique life experiences that can affect individual members and also the family as a whole. While many benefits to the military lifestyle exist, previous research has described how children of active duty military families may also be more at-risk for emotional and academic difficulties as a result of parent absence, family stress or strain. For active duty military families who have children with disabilities, mobility and change can be especially stressful. However, limited research has been conducted to understand the experiences and perceptions of military families who have young children with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore (a) the experiences and needs of military families with young children with disabilities, and (b) the experiences and recommendations of early intervention professionals who work with young children with disabilities and their military families. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with six active duty military family members who have a children with disabilities, and focus groups were conducted with 12 early intervention service providers. Findings of the study include unique experiences and needs of military family members with young children with disabilities that have been highlighted in previous literature, as well as some unique findings specific to those receiving services under part of Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

СОЦИАЛЬНО-ПОВЕДЕНЧЕСКИЕ АСПЕКТЫ РАСПРОСТРАНЕННОСТИ СИНДРОМА РАЗДРАЖЕННОГО КИШЕЧНИКА СРЕДИ ВОЕННОСЛУЖАЩИХ И ЧЛЕНОВ ИХ СЕМЕЙ

Objective. Identification and assessment of socio-behavioral risk factors for the formation of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among military personnel and members of their families (ARC). Material and technique. IBS was diagnosed according to Rome IV criteria. The level of emotional stress (ES) on the Rider scale. A total of 1977 cadets (aged 17–22) were examined. 326 officers (aged 24–55) and 257 of their wives (aged 23–51). Results and discussion. The detection rate of IBS among SCD varies from 18.7±2.2 to 22.2±2.6% (P > 0.05). IBS-C (constipation) is most often detected than IBS-D (diarrhea), because patients with diarrhea are more likely to visit doctors and receive treatment. In general, the medical negotiability of patients is poor and averages 30.7±2.3%, and 37.3±2.4% of patients carry out self-treatment, another 32.0±2.3% of patients tolerate the clinical manifestations of IBS (P > 0.05). When IBS is combined with other syndromes, medical negotiability increases to 62.1±9.2%. During the period of adaptation to the conditions of life and study at the school, the level of strong ES in cadets increases to 32.3±2.3%, as adaptation (after 4 years) it decreases to 3.4±1.1% (P < 0.001) . The incidence of IBS is higher in patients with poor housing conditions, incomplete marital status and tobacco addiction. Conclusion. Effective management of the identified socio-behavioral risk factors for the formation of IBS can significantly reduce the risk of SCD and their families with IBS.

РОЛЬ БІЗНЕСУ ЯК КАТАЛІЗАТОРА РОЗВИТКУ СОЦІАЛЬНОГО ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВА В ПРОЦЕСІ РЕІНТЕГРАЦІЇ ВІЙСЬКОВОСЛУЖБОВЦІВ, ВЕТЕРАНІВ ТА ЧЛЕНІВ ЇХ СІМЕЙ

The process of reintegration of servicemen, veterans and their family members is a special challenge in the conditions of a full-scale war in Ukraine. In the context of tasks of reintegration of military personnel, veterans and members of their families, the relevance of the development of social entrepreneurship is increasing. With the growth of social problems in Ukraine, new challenges arise for enterprises that work according to traditional business models aimed at maximizing revenues. In times of crisis there is a tendency to increase the number of market entities that implement social responsibility in their activities. Today, community residents, internally displaced persons, veterans and military families are ready to initiate business projects with social impact aimed at solving community problems. An effective model of such interaction is the establishment of social enterprises. The article defines the role of business as a stakeholder that accelerates the development of social entrepreneurship for the reintegration of military personnel, veterans and their family members. Еhe model of cooperation between business and social entrepreneurship as a reintegration tool is substantiated. One of the ways of effective development of social enterprises is establishing partnerships with traditional businesses. In modern conditions, market entities increasingly use socially responsible approaches in conducting business, paying special attention to corporate social responsibility and integration of the Sustainable Development Goals into business processes. In the search for partners, large companies will prefer reliable social enterprises to simultaneously improve their image and brand awareness. Therefore, cooperation between traditional business and social entrepreneurship could be seen as mutually beneficial partnership.

Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Organizational-Citizenship Behaviors of Soldiers: Mediating Role of Psychological Capital

<p>本研究旨在探討職業軍人特質正念、心理資本與組織公民行為表現間的關係，並檢證心理資本在特質正念與組織公民行為間所扮演的中介角色。本研究採用立意取樣調查法，以陸軍職業軍人為對象，共蒐集407份問卷，並運用結構方程模式的統計方法探究變項間的關係。研究結果現：（1）特質正念對組織公民行為不具有顯著的正向關聯；（2）特質正念對心理資本具有顯著的正向關聯；（3）心理資本對組織公民行為具有顯著的正向關聯；（4）心理資本在特質正念與組織公民行為間扮演完全中介角色。由研究結果可知，職業軍人的特質正念對組織公民行為的直接關聯雖不明顯，卻可經由提升正向心理資本，增進官兵在奉公與利他的行為表現。最後，研究者依據研究結果提出建議，提供部隊實務工作者、相關諮商與輔導人員以及未來研究之參考。</p> <p> </p><p>Context and Object: Military organizations differ in nature from other organizations. The professionalism of military organization members is demonstrated in the implementation of "ultimate liability," which means to protect national security and make sacrifices for the well-being of the people at any point of time. Assisting soldiers to actively engage in organizational citizenship behaviors and become good organizational citizens is an important method to enhance their professionalism and "ultimate liability." Previous studies have shown that in the workplace, employees with more positive psychological and emotional capital tend to express more organizational citizenship behaviors. However, these results are mainly from studies on corporate employees; it is unknown if this is also true for military personnel. In addition, prior research on organizational citizenship behavior has rarely explored the possible effects of the positive psychological state. To fill these gaps, this study focused on soldiers as research targets and explored the relationship between trait mindfulness, psychological capital, and organizational citizenship behavior. Simultaneously, it verified the mediating effect of psychological capital between trait mindfulness and organizational citizenship behavior. Method: The study used purposive sampling; 407 soldiers from the two army camps in Taiwan were selected and analyzed using the structural equation model. Results: The results showed that: (1) trait mindfulness had no significant association with organizational citizenship behavior (path coefficient value β = 0.00, p > .05); (2) trait mindfulness had a significant positive association with psychological capital (path coefficient value β = 0.40, p < .001); (3)psychological capital had a significant positive relationship with organizational citizenship behavior (path coefficient value β = 0.83, p < .001); (4)psychological capital completely mediated the relationship between trait mindfulness and organizational citizenship behavior (indirect effect value β = 0.33, p < .05, 95% confidence interval did not contain 0). Conclusion and Suggestion: From the results, it can be seen that although the direct relationship between the soldiers’ trait mindfulness and organizational citizenship behavior was not obvious, trait mindfulness can indirectly improve their organizational citizenship behavior performance by enhancing other positive psychological capital. In summary, the contributions of this study are as follows: first, it expanded the application and research scope of mindfulness in the military field. It showed that mindfulness can be used to promote soldiers’mental health and work performance in high-pressure situations; mindfulness also has indirect benefits in motivating altruistic and helpful organizational citizenship behavior. Second, this study confirmed that the soldiers’ law-abiding and altruistic behavior in the military can be cultivated not only by the current methods of ethical appeals and moral training but can also be achieved by enhancing trait mindfulness and inner psychological capital. Based on the results, the author provides several suggestions for the practice of military counseling; for example, military mental health centers can systematically and continuously conduct related activities, encourage soldiers to practice mindfulness to enhance their self-awareness and insight abilities, cultivate psychological capital, and implement self-management for mental health. Political warfare officers and cadres at the basic level are the first-line counselors for soldiers. They are familiar with the life and training of the army. If they can integrate the skills and concepts of mindfulness-awareness into the military daily life and training, it can help develop the soldiers’ military ethics. Finally, the author also suggests that the army should continue to explore and develop other activities that enhance soldiers’ inner psychological capital, to improve their altruistic behavior and reduce unfavorable behavior in the military organization.</p> <p> </p>

An Ecofeminist Analysis of Fartuma Kusow’s Tale of A Boon’s Wife

<p>This article examines the exploitation of women, nature, and certain other oppressed groups in Fartumo Kusow’s novel, Tale of a Boon’s Wifeusing an ecofeminist literary approach.The novel tackles a number of contemporary Somalia-related concerns. It addresses topics including sociocultural factors, the strongly ingrained patriarchal system, the effects of war and violence, the issues associated with environmental disasters, etc. Thus, exploring this novel from an ecofeminism perspective will show how the writer addressed gender injustice, environmental crises, and various types of dominance and exploitation rooted in their societies. To extract relevant data from the novel, a close reading was done. Then, a textual analysis was employed to analyze the extracted texts. Therefore, based on the analysis made, the novel significantly portrays the deep-rooted patriarchal system in Somalia. Women and girls are especially vulnerable to both domestic and public abuse. The novel also demonstrates that continued war and conflict, and drought have a direct and indirect impact on women, children, farmers, animals, and the natural environment. It also shows that war and instability create a good situation for those military officials and members to subjugate women and control vast amounts of fertile land for their own personal gain by displacing poor farmers. Furthermore, the novel has portrayed discrimination based on clan and class differences in its impact on women and other subordinate groups. On the other hand, it portrays Idil, the main character, resisting all these differences and giving value to all humans, animals, and the natural environment, including the land. Finally, the author has put all these unprivileged groups together: women, children, animals, farmers, and the natural environment, including the land, in one category to show how they are mistreated and exploited simultaneously by powerful men. <strong></strong></p>

Time-dependent suicide rates among Army soldiers returning from an Afghanistan/Iraq deployment, by military rank and component

BackgroundTo date, knowledge is limited regarding time-dependent suicide risk in the years following return from deployment and whether such rates vary by military rank (i.e., enlisted, officer) or component (i.e., active duty, National Guard, reserve). To address these gaps in knowledge, the objectives of this study were to determine and compare postdeployment suicide rates and trends (percent change over time), and hazard rates for Army soldiers, by rank and component (measured at the end of the deployment).MethodsLongitudinal cohort study of 860,930 Army soldiers returning from Afghanistan/Iraq deployment in fiscal years 2008–2014 from the Substance Use and Psychological Injury Combat study. Death by suicide was observed from the end of the first deployment in the study period through 2018 (i.e., the most recently available mortality data) for up to 11 years of follow-up. Analyses were conducted in 2021–2022.ResultsAdjusting for age, lowest-ranking Junior Enlisted (E1–E4) soldiers had a suicide rate 1.58 times higher than Senior Enlisted (E5–E9)/Warrant Officers (95% CI [1.24, 2.01]) and 2.41 times higher than Officers (95% CI [1.78, 3.29]). Suicide rates among lower-ranking enlisted soldiers remained elevated for 11 years postdeployment. Overall and annual postdeployment suicide rates did not differ significantly across components. Comparisons across rank and component for females were generally consistent with the full cohort results.ConclusionsLower-ranking enlisted soldiers had the highest rate of suicide, underscoring the importance of understanding rank as it relates to social determinants of health. For over a decade following Afghanistan/Iraq deployment, lower-enlisted rank during deployment was associated with an elevated rate of suicide; thereby suggesting that postdeployment prevention interventions targeting lower-ranking military members are warranted.

Bereaved Military Families: Relationships and Identity

An untimely sudden or violent death is a risk for those serving in the armed forces and can result in unique challenges for surviving military family members. This research considered how bereavement affects a range of relationships for military bereaved families in the UK and how they impact the reconstruction of a new identity in civilian life. A two-phase exploratory sequential design, involving semi-structured interviews (n = 15) and a mixed methods survey (n = 264) of military family members, was conducted. Findings revealed changing relationships with friends and family over time, reconstruction of identity, long-term impact on children, and loneliness.

Askeri Personelde Kardiyovasküler Risk Faktörlerinin Değerlendirilmesi: Türkiye’de Yapılan Bir Araştırma

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates; however, prevalence data for Turkish military members are unknown. Aim: This study determines how common cardiovascular risk factors are among military members in the Corps Command Military Unit and how they relate to socio-demographic parameters. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional research was conducted with 25222 active-duty individuals. A questionnaire was used to assess cardiovascular risk factors. This study included patients with more than two risk factors or current cardiac complaints. ECGs, echocardiograms, and biochemical testing were performed. Results: The study employed 835 individuals with an average age of 19.43±2.12 years. 19.6% of them had hypertension, 5.6% had dyslipidemia, 39.6% were smokers, 2.4% had diabetes mellitus, and 9.8% had a positive family history. Physical activity frequency was not observed in 54% of the patients before enlisting in the military. There was a significant positive correlation between smoking and mental stress (r=1.07, p<0.001). Conclusion: In terms of cardiovascular risk, hypertension and smoking were found to be the most prevalent among the Corps command staff. Therefore, this study provides compelling evidence that military healthcare providers should conduct annual periodic checks on those at risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Why the military committee is important to SAGES?

SAGES established a military committee in 2009 and since that time. It may not be readily clear why a traditionally laparoscopic and endoscopic surgical society should have a military committee whose members' primary mission is combat surgery. Military surgeons have a second mission, though, which is to provide care for all its beneficiaries in all the surgical subspecialties. They also have a third mission, which is to train the next generation of military surgeons. The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationshipwith SAGES that enables the military to succeed in these missions and the benefits it provides to SAGES. A historical review of the military committee and its activities since its inception in 2009. Through SAGES, military surgeons have a cost-effective means of developing professionally and receiving education in surgical areas outside of the battlefield arena, which the DOD does not provide. For 13years, SAGES has also provided an academic venue for research in these specialties. With the addition of military members, SAGES can access more surgeons and surgical innovation like surgery in space and worldwide telemedicine. The military committee also gives SAGES an opportunity to directly contribute to the care of military service members, retirees, and VA beneficiaries, which benefits the United Statesas a whole. SAGES and the military have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. The contributions of SAGES have undoubtedly saved and improved US service member and beneficiary lives. It has also improved the education and academic advancements of the military surgeons. SAGES also reaches more surgeons and has another platform for surgical innovation. The relationship should continue and be allowed to grow.

1171. Epidemiology of Old World Cutaneous Leishmaniasis among Members of the U.S. Military

Abstract Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a threat to U.S. Military personnel as they deploy to endemic areas. As treatment may require evacuation, CL undermines operations. Elucidating the epidemiology of CL in this population is key for prevention. Methods We retrospectively reviewed data from a CL sodium stibogluconate treatment trial at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC. 412 military members with parasitologically confirmed CL and deployment to Southwest Asia from May 2002 - August 2004 enrolled. Subjects’ CL lesions were counted and measured. 334 subjects completed a risk survey. Given no control group, we used number of CL lesions (NL), total lesion area (TLA), and lesion location as outcomes to assess CL risks. Non-parametric tests and logistic regression were used as appropriate. Results Permethrin treated bed net use was associated with lower NL (p = 0.000), TLA (p = 0.024), and odds of head/face lesion (OR 0.12, p = 0.047). Sleeping in a combat uniform was associated with lower TLA (p = 0.000) and odds of leg/foot lesion (OR 0.39, p = 0.023). Use of a permethrin treated uniform (p = 0.002) and N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) insect repellent at night (p = 0.046) were associated with lower NL. Noting unit members with similar lesions was associated with higher NL (p = 0.007) and odds of head/face lesion (OR 12.1, p = 0.019). National Guard status followed by Active Duty was associated with higher NL (p = 0.002) and TLA (p = 0.000) than Reserve. Sleeping in a building was associated with higher TLA (p = 0.008) and odds of arm lesion (OR 2.28, p = 0.016). Sleeping near animal burrows was associated with higher NL (p = 0.031). Sleeping on a cot (p = 0.006), certain ethnicities (p = 0.020) and certain military occupational specialties (p =0.038) were associated with higher TLA. Increasing age (p = 0.001) and years of service (p = 0.000) were positively correlated with TLA. Conclusion This is the largest group of U.S. Military members with CL reported and provides insight into risks for CL which will guide preventive efforts to reduce the burden of illness in this population. The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. Disclosures Naomi E. Aronson, M.D., Elsevier: Royalties as text editor, honoraria for chapter writing|UpToDate: royalties for writing chapters.

1894. Sensitivity of Symptom-Based Screening for COVID-19 in Active Duty Service Members

Abstract Background Symptomatic COVID-19 screening has been a cornerstone of case identification during the pandemic. Despite the myriad of COVID-19 symptoms, screens have focused on fever, cough, and dyspnea. It is unknown how well these symptoms identify cases in a healthy military population. This study aims to evaluate the utility of symptom-based screening in identifying COVID-19 through different COVID-19 waves. Methods A convenience sample of 600 active-duty service members who arrived at JBSA in 2021 and 2022 was included in this study. We compared 200 symptomatic service members who tested positive for COVID-19 in each of FEB-APR 2021 (prior to the emergence of the Delta variant), JUN-AUG 2021 (Delta variant was predominant), and JAN 2022 (Omicron variant was predominant). Collected data included test date, reported symptoms, and vaccination status. Comparisons were conducted via Chi-Square or Fisher’s Exact test. Results Of the 600 symptomatic active-duty service members who tested positive for COVID-19, the most common symptoms were sore throat (n=385, 64%), headache (n=334, 56%), and cough (n=314, 52%). While sore throat was the most prominent symptom during Delta (n=140, 70%) and Omicron (n=153, 77%), headache was the most common prior to Delta (n=93, 47%). There were significant differences in symptoms by vaccination status (Table 2). Overall, screening for fever, cough, and dyspnea had a 65.1% sensitivity in this cohort (Table 3) with its lowest sensitivity in the pre-Delta cohort (53.5%) and highest sensitivity in the fully vaccinated Omicron cohort (78.3%). Conclusion In this descriptive cross-sectional study evaluating symptomatic military members with COVID-19, symptom prevalence varied based on the predominant COVID-19 variant as well as patients’ vaccination status. As screening strategies evolve with the pandemic, changing symptom prevalence should be considered. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Comparisons of Baseline Obesity Prevalence and Its Association with Perceived Health and Physical Performance in Military Officers.

Increasing obesity rates among USA military members vary by age, pay grade, and measurement methods and threaten force fitness and readiness. Limited research has directly measured obesity among officers; those enrolled in graduate school at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) face additional demands and increased obesity risk. This study compared obesity measurements and performance on the Army Physical Fitness test and self-rated health for a sample of mostly CGSC officers. Participants (n = 136, 75.7% male, 79.6% officers) completed body composition measures; BMI, body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) estimated obesity rates and were compared for discordance. Army Physical Fitness Test pass/fail rates and self-reported perceived health were compared with each obesity classification. Obesity prevalence was 18.5-39.7%, differing by sex and measure. BMI, WC, and WHtR underestimated obesity compared to BF% at least 21% of the time. WHtR had the lowest discordance with BF%. Soldiers categorized as obese were significantly more likely to fail the fitness test and report lower self-rated health than non-obese soldiers. Overall, obesity rates among our primarily officer sample were higher than previous studies, particularly for women. Interventions to address obesity are necessary among military officers to optimize human performance.

Examination of Ankle Trauma in United States Military Members: A Scoping Review.

Military members, along with their injuries and expectations to return to duty, vary significantly from the general population. The purpose of this scoping review is to examine current literature pertaining to ankle injuries in United States military members and identifythe research gaps. A scoping review was carried out with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search was utilized on three databases: PubMed, AMED, and Cochrane Library. The papers included were those of ankle injuries in the military. Exclusionary criteria included papers that did not have quantitative data, no full paper availabilityand non-US military. One hundred and fiftyarticles were screened, with nine meeting the inclusion criteria. Almost all of these were cohort by design. The focus was on a variety of tests for returning to active duty and the risks associated with individual factors for each service member. The study identified a lack of randomized control trials, underrepresentation of vulnerable subgroups within the US military, and no single test for ankle mobility and strength to return to duty. Prioritizing these deficiencies may help to save time and money within the US military healthcare system.

An Exploratory Study of the Association between the Big-Five Personality Dimensions, the Use of Influencing Behaviors with Military Staff Members' Perceived Performance

The purpose was to explore the association between the Big Five personality dimensions, the use of influencing behaviors (influencing tactics and political skill) with military staff members’ perceived performance. The sample included 185 Armed Forces staff members from various countries (predominantly the Baltic countries, Sweden, Norway and the USA). A hierarchical multiple regression indicated that the Big-Five dimensions Extraversion and Openness made statistically significant contributions (albeit low) in step 1 of the regression analysis in relation to performance, however, their contribution was weakened after the influencing behaviors were added in step 2 of the analysis. Two influencing behaviors (influencing tactic Rational persuasion and Political skill) demonstrated to be unique statistically significant contributions to perceived performance in the model as a whole, with political skill being the strongest. Practical considerations and future research directions are suggested.

Problematic Anger in the Military: Focusing on the Forgotten Emotion.

Problematic anger is common in veteran and military populations, yet understudied relative to other mental health difficulties. However, in recent years, more clinical and research attention has been turned to problematic anger. This paper highlights important new findings in the epidemiology, course, and neurobiology of anger, the associations of anger with other mental health problems and risk, and next steps for research and practice. In longitudinal research, findings show that problematic anger changes over the life course of military members and veterans, and that deployment increases the likelihood of problematic levels of anger. Problematic anger is related to a range of mental health issues, most perniciously aggression and suicidality. Promising new assessment and treatment approaches are emerging, including innovations that leverage digital technology. Key areas of research include advancing assessment of problematic anger to identify patterns of heterogeneity, as well as advancing the evidence base for anger treatments. Recommended progress in clinical practice include conducting routine assessment of problematic anger in veteran and military populations, developing prevention and early intervention for at risk individuals, and optimizing the timing of interventions throughout the military lifecycle.

Military Family Socialization: An Examination of New U.S. Military Families in Online Forums

Adapting to military life can be a challenging transition for new members. Although scholarship has identified socialization processes for individuals, limited literature exists about family adaptation experiences. This study sought to understand how U.S. military family members communicated in online forums about their experiences of entering the military. Using grounded theory to analyze 1,527 pages of discussion boards, this study found that posters experienced a distinct process of socializing to military life wherein individuals navigated clashing trajectories between civilian and military expectations. Findings expand understandings of socialization and offer suggestions for helping families adjust to the armed services.

Trends in Well-Child Visits and Routine Vaccination among Children of U.S. Military Members: An Evaluation of the COVID-19 Pandemic Effects.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted administration of healthcare including well-child visits and routine vaccinations. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic disruption on childhood health maintenance: well-child visits and scheduled vaccinations. We queried the TRICARE Management Activity's Military Health System (MHS) database for outpatient well-child visits and vaccinations for all children 0 to 23 months of age eligible for TRICARE healthcare. The median rate of well-child visits, during the COVID-19 period (March 2020-July 2021), was significantly declined for all demographic groups: all ages, parental military ranks, sex, and regions as compared to the pre-COVID-19 period (February 2019-February 2020). Similar to rates of well-child visits, the rate of vaccinations declined during the COVID-19 period as compared to the pre-COVID-19 period for all demographic groups, except children 12-23 months. Rates of well-child visits for military dependent children under 2 years of age were decreased during the 16 month COVID-19 period, with large increases seen in the first 2 months of the pandemic; the consequences of missed well-child visits and vaccination are unknown.

Abstract 13787: Characteristics and Occupational Trends of Military Tactical Athletes With Repeat Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablations

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation for military personnel aims to provide therapeutic endpoints, recognizing that a subset of personnel require repeat ablation. Objective: This study aims to identify differences in characteristics and occupations of military members who received single versus repeat AF ablation. Further, we aim to understand the rates retention and deployment in those with single versus repeat AF ablation. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that there are increased rates of AF repeat ablations in personnel with risk factors for AF recurrence. Methods: Military personnel who underwent elective AF ablation between 2004 to 2019 were reviewed. Characteristics and military dispositions of personnel with repeated AF ablations were compared to those without. Results: 27 of 104 (26%) personnel received repeat AF catheter ablations on average 16.1±31 months after first ablation. There were no differences between age (34.5+9.5 vs 37.6+9.8 years, P=0.13), BMI (28.1±3.9 vs 28.7±3.4 kg/m2, P=0.48), presence of diastolic dysfunction (11.7% vs 7.4%, P=0.53), left atrial appendage emptying velocities (58.4+22 vs 59.7+23 cm/s, P=0.82), left atrial volume index (29.4+9.9 vs 29.6+8.8 ml/m2, P=0.87), left ventricular ejection fraction (60.4+6% vs 58.5+13%, P=0.31), CHA2DS2-VASc scores (0.37+0.6 vs 0.44+0.7, P=0.60) between those who received a single versus repeated AF ablation. Aviators (40%, 4/10) and healthcare workers (35%, 12/34) underwent repeated ablation at significantly increased rates when compared to 22% of administrators (4/18) and 10% of industrial workers (2/20), (P=0.032). Military retention rates were preserved in those requiring repeated ablation compared to those with single AF ablation (70%, 19/27 vs 78%, 60/77; P=0.60). Deployment rates were statistically similar between those requiring repeated AF ablation compared to single ablation (37%, 10/27 vs 43%, 33/77; P=0.43). Conclusions: Repeat AF catheter ablation rates in military tactical athletes may be driven by specific and individual occupational demands without increased traditional risk factors for AF recurrence. Military retention and deployment rates are preserved for those requiring repeated AF ablation compared to those with single ablation.

Theory of Planned Behavior and Active Duty Air Force Members' Mental Health Help-Seeking.

Although military members often encounter significant atypical stressors while serving, many service members are still reluctant to seek mental health (MH) treatment. Help-seeking behavior for MH needs is a rising concern for active duty Air Force personnel. Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are just a few issues that military members deal with, but things like stigma, attitudes toward MH, and behavioral control might keep these individuals from seeking services. This study utilizes the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to identify better and understand barriers to the help-seeking behavior of active duty Air Force members. The 2017 Air Force Community Feedback Tool was used for this study. This confidential survey was completed by a large sample of the military population (N = 10,705). The survey was used to examine relationships between the TPB-related variables and respondents with mood problems identifying a need for professional counseling, seeking MH services, and reporting that the services met their needs. Multiple linear and binary logistic regression models were utilized to analyze findings from this sample. This study highlights how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control impact help-seeking behavior for these individuals. Findings include the MH providers' good reputations, wait times for services, ease of access to care, and negative experiences with supervisor permission, all of which showed a statistically significant impact on help-seeking behavior. Dependent variables included "I need professional counseling," "I contacted a MH care provider in the past year to try to meet this need," and "How much the MH care provider helped you meet your needs." Each of these variables had statistically significant relationships with the connecting variables of the TPB. Findings from this study reveal how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control play an essential role in an active duty Air Force member's decision to seek help for MH concerns. This study suggests that active duty military members are less concerned about the belief that seeking MH care could harm their reputations and more aware of the potential negative reputations of MH clinics. Finally, actionable steps are outlined to better support help-seeking behavior, which might be recommended to better train and encourage military leaders to address the MH needs of themselves and the members of their units.