Investigate the influence of physical readiness tests (PRTs) on eating behaviors among US Navy Sailors.
Focused ethnography using interviews and military policies.
Three US Naval installations.
...Active-duty enlisted Sailors (n = 32).
Eating behaviors.
Authors analyzed data iteratively with data collection using domain, taxonomy, and thematic analysis to identify culturally relevant codes, domains, and themes.
Five themes corresponded with PRT timing and Sailors’ perceived ability to meet standards: (1) maintain usual eating habits, (2) get ready and switch it up, (3) make weight—damage control, (4) return to baseline—PRT is over, and (5) eat whatever—PRT is canceled. In contrast to the PRT policy's goal for Sailors to maintain standards and a healthy lifestyle, many Sailors modified their usual eating behaviors to pass the test.
Changes in eating behaviors during PRT cycles highlight a culture of getting ready vs staying ready, suggesting many Sailors do not eat a nutrient-dense diet to maintain the minimum physical fitness and body composition standards. There is a need for nutrition education for healthy weight maintenance, weight gain prevention, and healthy weight loss among military personnel.
Abstract
Introduction
Active duty Navy women participate in biannual Physical Fitness Assessments (PFAs), which include height and weight measurements and a Physical Readiness Test (PRT). PFAs are ...waived during pregnancy and resume the cycle after 6 months following maternity leave. The purpose of this study was to compare changes in PFA results over time between women who had or did not have a live birth during the follow-up period, and identify characteristics of women with lower PFA results postpartum.
Materials and Methods
This longitudinal study included 14,142 active duty Navy women, aged 19–40 years, with PFA results during July 2011–June 2015. Multivariable logistic regression, Stuart-Maxwell tests, and mixed effects modeling were used to examine changes in PRT scores and body mass index over time between women with and without a live birth during follow-up. All data were analyzed in 2017. This study was approved by the institutional review boards at the Uniformed Services University Office of Research and the Naval Health Research Center, and informed consent was waived in accordance with 32 CFR § 219.116(d).
Results
Postpartum women had increased odds of PRT failures (AOR = 3.88, 95% CI: 1.44–10.40) and lower PRT scores (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.12–1.92) up to 2.5 years postpartum, versus women without a live birth. Being enlisted, obese/overweight prepregnancy, and younger were risk factors for suboptimal PFA outcomes. Mean core strength and cardiovascular endurance, but not upper body strength, scores were significantly lower in postpartum women at 1 year postpartum versus women without a live birth.
Conclusions
Our findings show that additional interventions may be needed to assist women in returning to prepregnancy fitness up to 1 year postpartum. Future studies should examine additional factors that may improve postpartum fitness in addition to enhancing maternity leave policies.
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