Young Military Research Articles

Beyond Coping? Young Military Women and Gendered Coping Strategies in the Swedish Armed Forces

Beyond Coping? Young Military Women and Gendered Coping Strategies in the Swedish Armed Forces

Body Armor and Lumbar Disc Herniation in Young Military Veterans: A Case Series.

Soldiers on the battlefield are affected by heavy body armor and excessive march load. It is well known, but the long-term effects of this extra weight on the musculoskeletal system of military veterans, specifically the lumbar spine, are unclear. In Iraq and Afghanistan, most body armors weighed over 33 pounds (15 kg). These armors were 3 times heavier than those used in Vietnam. Chiropractors at the Fargo VA Hospital are seeing more young veterans with non-traumatic lower back pain. This article presents a perspective on the impact of body armor weight and excessive carry load on lumbosacral disc herniation with radicular pain in military veterans. This study is a retrospective case series. We used a convenient sampling method. We selected the first 10 military veterans who came to a Fargo VA chiropractor in late fall 2023. Each veteran filled out a VA Form 10-5345 to give us permission to access their electronic health records. All 10 veterans also completed a survey. The survey asked about their active combat status, the type and weight of their body armor, how long they wore the armor each day, how much weight they carried, and their opinion on the cause of their lower back pain (service related or not). The Fargo VA does not require an institutional review board for a case series. This study found that military veterans experience lower back pain at an average age of 35 years. This is at least 5 years earlier than non-service men. Lower back pain with disc herniation typically occurs at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 disc levels. All 10 veterans in the study believe that their lower back pain is related to their service. Sixty percent of the participants in the study have a service-connected disability because of back pain. For military veterans, onset of lower back pain from a disc herniation at a young age may be linked to carrying heavy body armor and loads. However, the small sample size of this case series limits causal relationship inferences.

Adaptation in Young Military Recruits: Protocol for the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Military services provide a unique opportunity for studying resilience, a dynamic process of successful adaptation (ie, doing well in terms of functioning and symptoms) in response to significant adversity. Despite the tremendous interest in positive adaptation among military service members, little is known about the processes underlying their resilience. Understanding the neurobiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying adaptive functioning following military stressor exposure is essential for enhancing the resilience of military service members. The primary objective of the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) longitudinal study is to characterize the trajectories of positive adaptation among young military recruits in response to basic combat training (BCT), a well-defined, uniform, and 10-week period of intense stress (aim 1), and identify promotive and protective processes contributing to individual variations in resilience (aim 2). The secondary objective is to investigate the pathways by which neurobehavioral markers of self-regulation assessed using electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging contribute to adaptive trajectories (aim 3). ARMOR is an ongoing, prospective longitudinal cohort study of young military recruits who recently joined the National Guard but have not yet shipped out for BCT. Participants (N=1201) are assessed at 5 time points over the initial >2 years of military service beginning before BCT (baseline) and followed up at 2 weeks and 6, 12, and 18 months after BCT. Participants complete web-based questionnaires assessing vulnerability and protective factors, mental health, and socioemotional functioning at each time point and a battery of neurocognitive tests at time 0. A subset of participants also complete structured diagnostic interviews and additional self-report measures and perform neurobehavioral tasks before and after BCT during electroencephalography sessions and before BCT only during magnetic resonance imaging sessions. This UG3/UH3 project was initially funded in August 2017, with the UG3 pilot work completed at the end of 2018. The UH3 phase of the project was funded in March 2019. Study enrollment for the UH3 phase began on April 14, 2019, and ended on October 16, 2021. A total of 1201 participants are enrolled in the study. Follow-up data collection for the UH3 phase is ongoing and projected to continue through February 2024. We will disseminate the findings through conferences, webinars, open access publications, and communications with participants and stakeholders. The ARMOR study provides a rich data set to identify the predictors and mechanisms of resilient and nonresilient outcomes in the context of military stressors, which are intended to empirically inform the development of prevention and intervention strategies to enhance the resilience of military trainees and potentially other young people facing significant life challenges. DERR1-10.2196/51235.

Innovation of Training of Young Military Leaders from Generation Z in Republic of Bulgaria

Abstract Commanding and managing a military formation is never easy, but it can be even more challenging when the commander has less professional experience than his subordinates. In such a situation, very quickly, the commander can lose the trust of his subordinates, due to the little experience and uncertainty he feels at the moment.

2022 Military Health Physics Section Young Military Health Physicist of The Year Award

2022 Military Health Physics Section Young Military Health Physicist of The Year Award

P129. Neural and Behavioral Predictors of Maladaptive Avoidance in Young Military Recruits

Fear generalization during Pavlovian conditioning is associated with clinical anxiety and may impact everyday decision-making when people are faced with competing incentives and threats in their environments. For some individuals, maladaptive and unnecessary behavioral avoidance can result. The connection between brain markers of Pavlovian fear generalization and later avoidance is poorly understood.

The Reshaping of Professional Discourse among Young Military Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine

The research aimed to outline the features of “new normal” communication behavior of young military leaders due to the COVID-19 pandemic influence. To study this critical problem we used some general scientific and empirical methods like literature analysis, synthesis and theoretical modelling, pedagogical experience, statistical data processing. The author found that the changes include development of closed and indirect forms, introduction of new lexical, grammatical, and stylistic units, fake information spread, misuse of information and communication technologies (ICT), periodical refusal to message with non-verbal tools. The findings show that professional discourse among young military leaders changes fast because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the transformations involve different communication behavior, the more significant role of leaders in study group especially in the context of peer-to-peer learning, critical thinking development, independent production and comprehension of professional utterances, higher responsibility of a speaker. The experiment demonstrates that military officers and cadets are likely to cope with new “rules of the game” and they continue to carry out security tasks prioritizing discipline, considerable motivation, psychological readiness to high-risk conditions and adaptability to counteract dramatic challenges. The article is one of the early researches reviewing the features of young military leaders’ discourse and describing its current transformations. The research can contribute to developement of recommendations for professional discourse improvements and, consequently, to enhance the efficiency of professional activities of military officers.

The Reshaping of Professional Discourse among Young Military Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine

The Reshaping of Professional Discourse among Young Military Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine

2021 Young Military Health Physicist of the Year Award: Presented to MAJOR NADIA HALIM by the Health Physics Society's Military Health Physics Section July 2021.

2021 Young Military Health Physicist of the Year Award: Presented to MAJOR NADIA HALIM by the Health Physics Society's Military Health Physics Section July 2021.

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Serum Markers in Young Military Recruits in Greece: A Comparison Study between 2005 and 2019 Cohorts

Background: The prevalence of hepatitis B varies (HBV) among countries. Although an overall reduction has been described in Greece, data are limited. Methods: We reviewed the HBsAg/anti-HBc/anti-HBs seroprevalence among military recruits and compared data between 2005 and 2019. The study included 2001 (group 1) and 1629 (group 2) male recruits in 2019 and 2005, respectively. Age and descent were recorded. Results: The prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs positivity in group1 vs. group 2 was estimated as: 0.2%, 1.3% and 67% vs. 0.4%, 1.6% and 62%, respectively. Only anti-HBs positivity achieved a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.007). HBsAg and anti-HBc were more frequently positive in non-Greeks than in Greeks (9/237 (4%) vs. 2/3393 (0.06%), p < 0.001), (26/237 (11%) vs. 26/3393 (0.8%), p < 0.001 respectively), while anti-HBs was more frequently positive in Greeks than in non-Greeks (84/164 (51%) vs. 1461/2213 (66%), p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our data suggest a further reduction in HBV prevalence in Greece about 20 years after the adoption of the National HBV Immunization Program, with Greek participants experiencing a more effective HBV Immunization Program than non-Greeks.

The Green Sheep: Exploring the Perceived Risks and Benefits of Cannabis Among Young Military Members and Veterans.

Medical and recreational cannabis are becoming more accessible and socially accepted across the United States. Emerging adults (EAs; 18 to 29) are the largest group of cannabis users. Studies have found that veterans are more likely to report cannabis use compared to nonveterans. While research exists on the use levels of cannabis, limited knowledge is available on the perceived risks and benefits of using cannabis among EA military and veteran populations. Helping professionals encounter veterans who use cannabis and must consider military cultural factors and attitudes towards cannabis that may influence or exacerbate cannabis use. We conducted a qualitative study with 23 EA veteran and military members with high-risk substance use and asked about their thoughts on the acceptability, risks, and perceived benefits associated with cannabis. Two qualitative coders used NVivo to find themes following the six steps of thematic analysis. Results provide in-depth understanding of EA military members and veterans' perceptions of cannabis. Overall, we found participants were receptive to using cannabis for pain ailments, mental health issues, and as an alternative to benzodiazepines, opioids, and alcohol. However, they acknowledged restrictions are needed to moderate cannabis use and mitigate negative outcomes. Lastly, participants recognized the incongruence of cannabis use with military job responsibilities and expectations. These findings shed light on potential risk and protective factors related to using cannabis for recreational or medical reasons and should be considered when consulting EA military members and veterans.

Screening Electrocardiogram in Young Athletes and Military Members: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To determine the effect of electrocardiogram (ECG) screening on the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest and death in young athletes and military members. MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, BIOSIS, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to dates between February 21 and July 29, 2019. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials in which preparticipation examination including ECG was the primary intervention used to screen athletes or military members aged ≤40 years. Acceptable control groups were those receiving no screening, usual care, or preparticipation examination without ECG. Three published studies and 1 conference abstract were identified for inclusion. In all 4 studies, risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and was found to be generally high. Two studies had data extracted for random effects meta-analysis, and the remaining study and conference abstract were included in the narrative review. The overall quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. We included 4 nonrandomized studies (11 689 172 participants), of which all had a high risk of bias. Pooled data from 2 studies (n = 3 869 274; very low-quality evidence) showed an inconclusive 42% relative decrease in risk of sudden cardiac death (relative risk = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.23, 1.45), equating to an absolute risk reduction of 0.0016%. The findings were consistent with a potential 77% relative decreased risk to a 45% relative increased risk in participants screened using ECG. Heterogeneity was found to be high, as measured using I2 statistic (71%). Data from the remaining study and abstract were similarly inconclusive. Existing evidence for the effect of ECG screening is inconclusive and of very low quality. In our meta-analysis, we observed that screening ECG may result in a considerable benefit or harm to participants. Higher-quality studies are needed to reduce this uncertainty.

Incidence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death in Young Athletes and Military Members: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To evaluate the quality of the evidence on the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes and military members and estimate the annual incidence of SCA and SCD. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, BIOSIS, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to dates between February 21 and July 29, 2019. Studies in which the incidence of SCA, SCD, or both in athletes or military members aged <40 years was reported were eligible for inclusion. We identified 40 studies for inclusion. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using a validated, customized tool for prevalence studies. Twelve had a low ROB, while the remaining 28 had a moderate or high ROB. Data were extracted for narrative review and meta-analysis. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed in studies judged to have a low ROB in 2 categories: (1) 5 studies of regional- or national-level data, including athletes at all levels and both sexes, demonstrated 130 SCD events with a total of 11 272 560 athlete-years, showing a cumulative incidence rate of 0.98 (95% CI = 0.62, 1.53) per 100 000 athlete-years and high heterogeneity (I2 = 78%) and (2) 3 studies of competitive athletes aged 14 to 25 years were combined for a total of 183 events and 17 798 758 athlete-years, showing an incidence rate of 1.91 (95% CI = 0.71, 5.14) per 100 000 athlete-years and high heterogeneity (I2 = 97%). The remaining low-ROB studies involved military members and were not synthesized. The worldwide incidence of SCD is rare. Low-ROB studies indicated the incidence was <2 per 100 000 athlete-years. Overall, the quality of the available evidence was low, but high-quality individual studies inform the question of incidence levels. CRD42019125560.

Syphilis in young Brazilian military recruits in 2016: sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical aspects

The objective was to characterize sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical aspects in young Brazilian military recruits according to prevalence of syphilis. This was a descriptive study based on a nationwide population-based survey in 2016 with a probabilistic sample of military recruits 17 to 22 years of age. A confidential self-applied questionnaire was used. Blood samples were drawn from participants for treponemal and non-treponemal syphilis tests. Descriptive statistical techniques were used to estimate syphilis prevalence rates and distribution of frequencies between the target variables, considering 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), after weighting the data. Of the total of 37,282 participants, 73.7% were sexually initiated. Prevalence rates for lifetime and confirmed syphilis were 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively. The following population variables showed higher prevalence of syphilis: lack of Internet access at home; initiation of sexual activity before 14 years of age; men who have sex with men; more than five sexual partners; having received presents, drugs, or other incentives in exchange for sex; and prior history of symptoms of sexually transmissible infections. An increase was observed in syphilis in Brazilian military recruits when compared to previous surveys. This increase emphasizes the importance of this sentinel population for performing active surveillance in order to support healthcare strategies for youth, including in the school system.

2020 Military Health Physics Section Young Military Health Physicist of the Year Award: Presented to Lieutenant JEFFREY S. CAUDILL by the Health Physics Society July 2020.

2020 Military Health Physics Section Young Military Health Physicist of the Year Award: Presented to Lieutenant JEFFREY S. CAUDILL by the Health Physics Society July 2020.

Energy Consumption of Young Military Working Dogs in Pre-Training in Germany.

Simple SummaryAppropriate energy supply adjusted to the requirements of military working dogs at pre-training is a basic prerequisite for working dogs, so they are fully able to exercise. Therefore, twenty Belgian Shepherds var. Malinois were accompanied for four weeks during pre-training as military working dogs, and the amount of energy intake was evaluated. Changes in body constitution were assessed by measuring body weight and shoulder height, as well as thickness of subcutaneous fat tissue, and of Musculus sacrocaudalis dorsalis lateralis (MSCDL). Energy intake amounted to, on average, 244 kcal/kg body weight (BW)0.75 daily. Changes to body constitution (increases in body weight, shoulder height, and thickness of the MSCDL, as well as a reduction of the thickness of the subcutaneous fat tissue lying on the MSCDL) might be attributed to training-induced muscle growth and physiological growth in size. In addition to training intensity, influences of ambient temperature and physiological body growth seemed to be important contributing factors in the supply of energy for military working dogs (MWDs) during pre-training.Many factors have specific effects, in varying degrees of intensity, on the metabolic energy requirements of working dogs. Appropriate energy supply adjusted to the requirements of military working dogs at pre-training is a basic prerequisite for working dogs, so they are fully able to exercise. Therefore, more knowledge obtained under standardized conditions would be advantageous. Twenty intact Belgian Shepherds var. Malinois at the age of 12 months were accompanied for four weeks during pre-training (odour detection, obedience training, and protection work) as military working dogs (MWDs) in Germany (ambient temperature about 7.8 °C), and the amount of energy intake was evaluated. To assess changes in body constitution, body weight and shoulder height were measured, and the thickness of subcutaneous fat tissue (SCF), and of Musculus sacrocaudalis dorsalis lateralis (MSCDL), were recorded via ultrasound. Energy intake amounted to, on average, 244 ± 34 kcal/kg body weight (BW)0.75 daily. Increases in body weight, shoulder height, and thickness of the MSCDL, as well as a reduction of SCF thickness lying on the MSCDL, were observed. Changes of body constitution might be attributed to training-induced muscle growth and physiological growth in size. In addition to training intensity, influences of ambient temperature and physiological body growth seemed to be important contributing factors in the supply of energy for MWDs during pre-training.

Analysis of Occupational Stress and Its Relationship with Secretory Immunoglobulin A in the Xinjiang Plateau Young Military Recruits.

Background With the continuous improvement of the modernization of the Chinese military and the major adjustments made by the state to the recruitment policy, the newly recruited military undergone multiple pressures such as targeted high-intensity military training and environmental changes. The mental health of military has become a crucial factor of improving the fighting capacity effectiveness of the troops. Objectives To explore occupational stress of young recruits in the Xinjiang plateau environment during their basic military training period and analyze the relationship between occupational stress and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels. Methods Using multistage stratified cluster random sampling, 625 recruits stationed at Xinjiang plateau command in 2014 were enrolled as subjects. Occupational stress was assessed by the Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition (OSI-R). sIgA in saliva was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, and correlation analysis. Results Based on demographic characteristics, occupational stress was higher in the urban group than the rural group, coping ability for stress was greater in individuals who were students before joining the army than nonstudents, occupational stress was higher in smokers than nonsmokers, and coping ability for stress was higher in nonsmokers than in smokers (all P < 0.05). Being an only child, educational level and age were not significantly related to occupational stress scores (P > 0.05). Salivary sIgA level was higher in the high occupational stress group than in the low stress group (P < 0.01). Salivary sIgA was positively correlated with scores on the occupational role and personal strain questionnaires (rs = 0.229, rs = 0.268, P < 0.01). Conclusion Demographic characteristics influenced occupational stress among young recruits in cold and high-altitude area. Further, there were some relationships between occupational stress and salivary sIgA in young military recruits.

A Systematic Review of the Effect of Dietary Supplements on Cognitive Performance in Healthy Young Adults and Military Personnel.

Intake of dietary supplements has increased, despite evidence that some of these have adverse side effects and uncertainty about their effectiveness. This systematic review examined the evidence for the cognitive benefits of a wide range of dietary supplements in healthy young adult samples; the aim was to identify if any might be useful for optimising cognitive performance during deployment in military personnel. Searches were conducted in 9 databases and 13 grey literature repositories for relevant studies published between January 2000 and June 2017. Eligible studies recruited healthy young adults (18–35 years), administered a legal dietary supplement, included a comparison control group, and assessed cognitive outcome(s). Thirty-seven of 394 identified studies met inclusion criteria and were included for synthesis. Most research was deemed of low quality (72.97%; SIGN50 guidelines), highlighting the need for sound empirical research in this area. Nonetheless, we suggest that tyrosine or caffeine could be used in healthy young adults in a military context to enhance cognitive performance when personnel are sleep-deprived. Caffeine also has the potential benefit of improving vigilance and attention during sustained operations offering little opportunity for sleep. Inconsistent findings and methodological limitations preclude firm recommendations about the use of other specific dietary supplements.

Excess Risk for Kidney Disease in Young Military Personnel Who Use NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been associated with kidney disease in older patients. In this retrospective cohort study,

Using the Dietary Supplement Label Database to Identify Potentially Harmful Dietary Supplement Ingredients

Over half of young adults, athletes, and Military Service Members self-report using at least one dietary supplement (DS) 1 or more times per week. DS may be consumed to improve health, provide more energy, increase muscle strength, and/or enhance performance. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised concerns regarding adulteration, safety, and adverse events associated with DS marketed for brain health and bodybuilding. Some DS products may compromise health as well as lead to a serious adverse event. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), available at https://dsld.nlm.nih.gov/, can be freely accessed and used by researchers, providers, and consumers alike to screen for potentially harmful DS. It was developed to serve the research community and as a resource for health care providers and the public. Herein we provide two examples of how the database can be used to identify DS ingredients of concern in products marketed for brain health and bodybuilding. The search for DS marketed for brain health returned 49 unique DS, and the search on DS marketed for bodybuilding returned 18 unique DS. Search results were cross-referenced with the Operation Supplement Safety High-Risk Supplement List, the FDA Tainted Products Marketed as Dietary Supplements list, the Natural Medicines database, and NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheets. Three ingredients found in DS marketed for brain health and two ingredients in DS marketed for bodybuilding were identified as "of concern". Educational tools, including the DSLD, can help consumers and providers make informed decisions regarding DS.