Intrinsic risk factors for exercise-related injuries among male and female army trainees

• Published in: The American journal of sports medicine 1993-09, Vol.21 (5), p.705-710
• Main Authors: Jones, Bruce H., Bovee, Matthew W., Harris, John McA, Cowan, David N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis. Health state; Biological and medical sciences; Body Constitution; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Epidemiology; Exercise; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fractures, Stress - epidemiology; General aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Injuries; Life Style; Low Back Pain - epidemiology; Male; Massachusetts - epidemiology; Medical research; Medical sciences; Military Personnel; Military training; Motor Activity; Physical Education and Training; Physical Fitness; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Sexes; Sports - statistics & numerical data; Sports injuries; Sprains and Strains - epidemiology; Tendinopathy - epidemiology; Wounds and injuries; Wounds and Injuries - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0363-5465; 1552-3365
• DOI: 10.1177/036354659302100512

Physical training-related injuries are common among army recruits and other vigorously active populations, but little is known about their causation. To identify intrinsic risk factors, we prospectively measured 391 army trainees. For 8 weeks of basic training, 124 men and 186 women (79.3%) were studied. They answered questionnaires on past activities and sports participa tion, and were measured for height, weight, and body fat percentage; 71 % of the subjects took an initial army physical training test. Women had a significantly higher incidence of time-loss injuries than men, 44.6% com pared with 29.0%. During training, more time-loss in juries occurred among the 50% of the men who were slower on the mile run, 29.0% versus 0.0%. Slower women were likewise at greater risk than faster ones, 38.2% versus 18.5%. Men with histories of inactivity and with higher body mass index were at greater injury risk than other men, as were the shortest women. We conclude that female gender and low aerobic fitness measured by run times are risk factors for training injuries in army trainees, and that other factors such as prior activity levels and stature may affect men and women differently.