Dietary intake, level of physical activity and nutritional status in military personnel of the Argentine Army

Abstract

Abstract: 

The feeding of the military personnel has to procure an optimum nutritional state, the personal welfare and the operative effectiveness.

Objective: Analyse the association between dietary intake recommended in the Alimentary Guides for the Argentinian Population and the level of physical activity with the nutritional state in military personnel of the commando Force of Fast Deployment of the Argentinian Army. Córdoba, 2020.

Methods: Observational, descriptive, of court transversal study. The probabilistic sample was of 95 participants (IC:95%), men and women of 18 to 60 years. Was it excluded to soldiers with pregnancy in course; pathologies and alimentary diets that was involve alimentary restrictions. It’s was used the leaf of information to the participant and consent informed. Was they respected the principles of the statement of Helsinki in the design and realisation of the study. It applied ad hoc designed questionnaire and subjected to pilot proof to know the individual alimentary consumption and measure the fulfillment of the alimentary rations recommended by groups of foods. This factor was classified according to the proportion of groups of foods covered to recommendation in: low (49,9%); moderate (50%-79,9%); and high (80%). The physical activity relieved by means of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (2002) and classified in three levels (drop, moderate and high). To estimate the nutritional state was requested current weight and size, data administered by the respondents; Afterwards it was calculated and classified the BMI by means of WHO (2000). The association between factors was valued by means of Chi-square, assuming a type one error of 0,05.

Results: overweight and obesity prevailet (55,7%), It was more frequent in men and in the group of 26 years or more. The fulfillment of the recommendation resulted low for: legumes, cereals, pope, bread and pastes; seeds and nuts; milk, yoghourt and cheeses. the high level physical activity predominated without differences by gender. It was not find association between the factors observed (p>0,05) wiht level of confidence of 95%.

Conclusions: The nutritional state of the military personnel can not explain from the factors selected. It’s need to include other factors to the analysis of the phenomenon studied.