Determining Physical Fitness Criteria for Entry into Army Basic Combat Training: Can these Criteria Be Based on Injury Risk

摘要

In October 1998, The U.S. Army Physical Fitness School Coordinated with the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine Epidemiology Program to evaluate the current standards for entry into the Fitness Training Unit at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. An epidemiologic consultation was initiated to assist in determining the minimum fitness criteria for entry into basic combat training (BCT) based on injury incidence. Past studies suggested that injury risk would be highest among the least-fit trainees and that it might be possible to identify a fitness level at which injury risk stabilized. The study cohort consisted of 655 male and 498 female basic trainees. Fitness was determined by performance on an Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) administered at the reception station. Data on injuries sustained during BCT were collected from trainee medical records at the conclusion of the BCT cycle. The analysis revealed that the least aerobically-fit women (slowest half of run times) were 2.2 to 2.8 times more likely than the most aerobically-fit women (fastest half) to sustain any injury during basic training (p <0.01) and were twice as likely to sustain an injury resulting in one or more days of limited duty (p=O.Ol). The results for men showed similar trends; injury incidence decreased progressively with increasing aerobic performance (faster run times). Injury risk stabilized at the following performance levels: 17- minute two-mile ran for both men and women, 26 sit-ups for men, and 10 push-ups for men. There were no injury incidence patterns associated with female push-up or sit-up performance. These data indicate that there were specific APFT performance levels at which further increases in performance did not result in reduction of injury risk. A secondary analysis was performed to assess the relationship between entry-level physical fitness, injury, and completion of BCT.