Abstract
Objective
To assess whether active duty military personnel meet Healthy People 2010 objectives
for physical activity and fruit, vegetable, and whole-grain intake; the relationship
of select demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors (eg, smoking), and eating
patterns (eg, frequency and location of meals) on achieving diet and exercise-related
Healthy People 2010 objectives; and the relationship of eating patterns to self-reported
weight gain.
Methods
Secondary data from 15,747 participants in the 2005 Department of Defense Health Related
Behaviors Survey was analyzed.
Results
More than 57% of respondents met the Healthy People 2010 guidelines for moderate or
vigorous leisure exercise but only 3% reported eating fruit (once), vegetables (3
times), and whole grains (3 times) daily. Individuals who reported gaining weight
during the previous year were more likely to skip breakfast and eat at, or from, a
restaurant ≥2 times per week compared with those who did not gain weight (P<0.001). Regression analysis indicated that women were more likely to eat fruits (odds
ratio [OR] 1.25) and vegetables (OR 1.20) and less likely than men to eat whole grains
(OR 0.76) or engage in moderate or vigorous exercise (OR 0.71). Military personnel
who skipped breakfast ≥2 times per week (OR 0.45) or ate at a restaurant/takeout food
(OR 0.54) ≥2 times per week were significantly less likely to meet Healthy People
2010 guidelines for food intake (defined as achieving a daily intake of one or more
fruits, three or more vegetables, and three or more servings of whole grains) and
exercise (OR 0.88 and 0.82, respectively).
Conclusions
Although the majority of military personnel met guidelines for physical activity,
their intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains was suboptimal. Skipping breakfast
and eating at, or from, restaurants were risk factors for poor nutrient intake and
associated with weight gain. These data suggest that skipping breakfast and eating
out deter achieving Healthy People 2010 objectives and provide targets for military
programs to promote achieving these objectives.
Keywords
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Biography
T. J. Smith is a research dietitian, Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.
Biography
A. J. Young is division chief, Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.
Biography
L. E. Dotson is a research associate, Samueli Institute, Alexandria, VA.
Biography
A. White is a principal associate, Abt Associates Inc, Durham, NC.
Biography
L. Hadden is a lead programmer analyst, Abt Associates Inc, Cambridge, MA.
Biography
G. P. Bathalon is a retired Army colonel; at the time of the study, he was commander, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.
Biography
L. Funderburk is chief, nutrition care, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, TX; at the time of the study, she was a research dietitian, Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.
Biography
B. P. Marriott is a professor, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; at the time of the study, she was a senior consultant, Samueli Institute, Alexandria, VA; a senior consultant, Abt Associates Inc, Durham, NC; and an adjunct professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 04, 2013
Accepted:
February 25,
2013
Available online 4 May 2013Footnotes
FUNDING/SUPPORT The analysis reported in this article was supported in full by US Army contract No. W911QY-09-P-0082 with Abt Associates Inc, and a subcontract from Abt Associates Inc to the Samueli Institute. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author(s) and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Army, Department of Defense, or Tricare Management Activity. Any citations of commercial organizations and trade names in this article do not constitute an official Department of the Army endorsement of approval of the products or services of these organizations.
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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© 2013 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
