Bodybuilding, energy, and weight-loss supplements are associated with deployment and physical activity in U.S. military personnel.

PURPOSE: The characteristics of U.S. military personnel who use dietary supplements have not been well described. This study aimed to determine whether deployment experience and physical activity were associated with the use of bodybuilding, energy, or weight-loss supplement among U.S. military personnel. METHODS: Self-reported data from active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard participants of the Millennium Cohort Study collected from 2007-2008 (n = 106,698) on supplement use, physical activity, and other behavioral data were linked with deployment and demographic data. We used multivariable logistic regression sex-stratified models to compare the adjusted odds of each type of supplement use among those with deployment experience in support of operations in Iraq or Afghanistan and those engaged in aerobic or strength-training activities. RESULTS: Overall, 46.7% of participants reported using at least one type of supplement, and 22.0% reported using multiple supplements. Male deployers were more likely to use bodybuilding supplements, whereas female deployers were more likely to use weight-loss supplements. Physically active and younger subjects reported all types of supplement use. Men and women reporting 5 or less hours of sleep per night were more likely to use energy supplements. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of supplement use and important characteristics found to be associated with their use, including deployment, physical activity, and suboptimal sleep, suggest focus areas for future research and adverse event monitoring.

Prospective investigation of complementary and alternative medicine use and subsequent hospitalizations.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use has been estimated to be as high as 65% in some populations. However, there has been little objective research into the possible risks or benefits of unmanaged CAM therapies. METHODS: In this prospective study of active duty US Navy and Marine Corps personnel, the association between self-reported practitioner-assisted or self-administered CAM use and future hospitalization was investigated. Cox regression models were used to examine risk of hospitalization due to any cause over the follow-up period from date of questionnaire submission, until hospitalization, separation from the military, or end of observation period (June 30, 2004), whichever occurred first. RESULTS: After adjusting for baseline health, baseline trust and satisfaction with conventional medicine, and demographic characteristics, those who reported self-administering two or more CAM therapies were significantly less likely to be hospitalized for any cause when compared with those who did not self-administer CAM (HR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.17, 0.86). Use of multiple practitioner-assisted CAM was not associated with a significant decrease or increase of risk for future hospitalization (HR = 1.86; 95 percent confidence interval = 0.96-3.63). CONCLUSION: While there were limitations to these analyses, this investigation utilized an objective measure of health to investigate the potential health effects of CAM therapies and found a modest reduction in the overall risk of hospitalization associated with self-administration of two or more CAM therapies. In contrast, use of practitioner-assisted CAM was not associated with a protective effect.

The occupational role of women in military service: validation of occupation and prevalence of exposures in the Millennium Cohort Study.

To better understand the US military's global peacekeeping and combat operations, which may expose a growing population of American service women to challenging occupations and environments. Concordance between self-reported and electronic occupation codes for female participants in the Millennium Cohort was measured using kappa statistics. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to assess the odds of five self-reported potentially toxic environmental exposures or disturbing experiences among different occupational categories, while adjusting for demographic and military characteristics, including deployment. Self-reported occupations were moderately to highly reliable when compared with electronic occupation data. Active-duty and Reserve/Guard females differentially reported witnessing death or trauma and exposure to chemical or biological warfare, depleted uranium, or pesticides. Findings suggest that self-reported occupation can be used with a high degree of confidence. Occupational groups with higher odds of reporting military exposures of concern will be followed longitudinally through 2022 and prospectively compared using baseline and follow-up evaluations.

Complementary and alternative medicine use among US Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

BACKGROUND: Recently, numerous studies have revealed an increase in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in US civilian populations. In contrast, few studies have examined CAM use within military populations, which have ready access to conventional medicine. Currently, the prevalence and impact of CAM use in US military populations remains unknown. METHODS: To investigate CAM use in US Navy and Marine Corps personnel, the authors surveyed a stratified random sample of 5,000 active duty and Reserve/National Guard members between December 2000 and July 2002. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess univariate associations and adjusted odds of CAM use in this population. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of 3,683 service members contacted, 1,446 (39.3%) returned a questionnaire and 1,305 gave complete demographic and survey data suitable for study. Among respondents, more than 37% reported using at least one CAM therapy during the past year. Herbal therapies were among the most commonly reported (15.9%). Most respondents (69.8%) reported their health as being very good or excellent. Modeling revealed that CAM use was most common among personnel who were women, white, and officers. Higher levels of recent physical pain and lower levels of satisfaction with conventional medical care were significantly associated with increased odds of reporting CAM use. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that CAM use is prevalent in the US military and consistent with patterns in other US civilian populations. Because there is much to be learned about CAM use along with allopathic therapy, US military medical professionals should record CAM therapies when collecting medical history data.

Innovative surveillance methods for rapid detection of disease outbreaks and bioterrorism: results of an interagency workshop on health indicator surveillance.

A system designed to rapidly identify an infectious disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack and provide important demographic and geographic information is lacking in most health departments nationwide. The Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections System sponsored a meeting and workshop in May 2000 in which participants discussed prototype systems and developed recommendations for new surveillance systems. The authors provide a summary of the group's findings, including expectations and recommendations for new surveillance systems. The consensus of the group was that a nationally led effort in developing health indicator surveillance methods is needed to promote effective, innovative systems.

Ten years and 100,000 participants later: occupational and other factors influencing participation in US Gulf War health registries.

For more than a decade after the Gulf War, there has been concern that wartime exposures have resulted in significant morbidity among Gulf War veterans. After the end of the war, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) initiated health registries to provide systematic clinical evaluations of Gulf War veterans who chose to participate. By September 1999, there were 32,876 participants in the DoD Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program and 70,385 participants in the VA Gulf War Registry Health Examination Program. We identified demographic and military service factors, as well as potential war-related exposures associated with subsequent registry participation after 10 years of observation. Veterans potentially exposed to oil well fire smoke, those near Khamisiyah, Reserve and National Guard, Army veterans, and veterans in the theater of operations during intense combat periods were most likely to elect to participate in a registry. These findings support the hypothesis that certain occupational factors and wartime exposures may influence subsequent health care-seeking behavior.