Do the Lower Body Strength Assessment Tests in the Spanish Navy Really Measure What They Purport to Measure?

The main objective of this research was to analyse the efficacy of lower body strength assessment tests in the Armed Forces Physical Assessment System. Secondly, it was to determine what relationship exists between the physical evaluation system of the Spanish Armed forces and standardized evaluation protocols (Gold standard). A total of 905 students enrolled in the military/civil bachelor's degree (813 male and 92 female) participated in this study. The influence of the sex of the participants was studied through the student's t-test for independent data, and the degree of association between variables was defined by Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results present moderate correlations (r = 0.67, r = 0.66; p < 0.001) between the vertical jump test used by the Army and the power or elastic force tests commonly used in practice and in research. The results obtained reflect a moderate relationship between the gold standard tests and the tests used by the Army, which suggests that the tests currently used to assess lower body strength should be adapted to more objective measurement tools which would allow a better comparison between samples from different armed forces.

Physical fitness in Spanish naval cadets. A four-year study.

BACKGROUND: Military physical readiness largely depends on soldiers maintaining their general health and physical fitness at a level which enables them to perform their requisite occupational duties in garrison and deployment environments. Understanding the physical fitness of naval cadets throughout its formative stages will help us define a training programme tailored to their needs. The objective of this study was to analyse the physical fitness of cadets enrolled in military training in the academic year 2018-2019 in the Military Naval Academy in Marín, Spain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal correlational-descriptive design was undertaken. 167 of the 292 students who participated in the global analysis participated in the pre and post (first and second semester) physical fitness tests (153 males and 14 females, mean age 21.9 ± 3.5) and were stratified into age groups. Anthropometric measurements and data from the Spanish army physical fitness assessment system (2 min push-ups, 1000 and 50 m races, vertical jump and 50 m swimming) were used. A descriptive, inferential, and correlational analysis was carried out and the level of significance set for the study was p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Inferential analysis between age group markers and over the total sample shows statistical differences for the total sample in the 1000 m and 50 m race (p < 0.001) and in vertical jump test (p < 0.010). There was significant statistical correlation between all five tests undertaken. CONCLUSIONS: The level of physical fitness of cadets at the Military Naval Academy in Marín, Spain appears to be acceptable when compared to other countries' military naval corps. Coherence between training and evaluation is extremely important, and a re-evaluation of stamina and strength training is probably advisable.

Space-time risk cluster of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazilian endemic region with high social vulnerability: An ecological time series study.

BACKGROUND: Despite visceral leishmaniasis (VL) being epidemic in most Brazilian regions, the Northeast region is responsible for the highest morbidity and mortality outcomes within the country. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the spatiotemporal dynamics of VL cases to identify the temporal trends and high-risk areas for VL transmission, as well as the association of the disease with social vulnerability in Brazilian Northeast. METHODS: We carried out an ecological time series study employing spatial analysis techniques using all VL confirmed cases of 1,794 municipalities of Brazilian Northeast between the years 2000 to 2017. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) was used to represent the social vulnerability. Incidence rates were standardized and smoothed by the Local Empirical Bayesian Method. Time trends were examined through segmented linear regression. Spatiotemporal analysis consisted of uni- and bivariate Global and Local Moran indexes and space-time scan statistics. RESULTS: Incidence rate remained stable and ranged from 4.84 to 3.52 cases/100,000 inhabitants. There was higher case prevalence between males (62.71%), children and adolescents (63.27%), non-white (69.75%) and urban residents (62.58%). Increasing trends of new cases were observed among adult male subjects (≥ 40 years old) and urban residents. Importantly, VL incidence showed a direct spatial dependence. Spatial and space-time clusters were identified in sertão and meio-norte sub-regions, overlapping with high social vulnerability areas. CONCLUSIONS: VL is a persistent health issue in Brazilian Northeast and associated with social vulnerability. Space-time clustering of VL cases in socially vulnerable municipalities demands intersectoral public policies of surveillance and control, with focus on reducing inequalities and improving living conditions for regional inhabitants.

Is Myofascial Release Therapy Cost-Effective When Compared With Manual Therapy to Treat Workers' Mechanical Neck Pains?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to do a cost-benefit analysis of myofascial release therapy (MRT) compared to manual therapy (MT) for treating occupational mechanical neck pain. METHODS: Variables regarding the outcomes of the intervention were intensity of neck pain, cervical disability, quality of life, craniovertebral angle, and ranges of cervical motion. Costs were assessed based on a social perspective using diary costs. Between-groups differences in average cost, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility ratios were assessed using bootstrap parametric techniques. The economic cost-benefit evaluation was with regard to an experimental parallel group study design. There were 59 participants. RESULTS: Myofascial released therapy showed significant improvement over MT for cervical mobility (side bending, rotation, and craniovertebral angle). The total cost of MRT was approximately 20% less (-$519.81; 95% confidence interval, -$1193.67 to $100.31) than that of MT, although this was not statistically significant. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility ratios showed that MRT could be associated with lower economic costs. CONCLUSION: With probabilities of 93.9% and 95.8%, MRT seems to be cost-effective for treating mechanical neck pain without the need to add any additional cost to obtain a better clinical benefit. Consequently, we believe it could be included in the clinical practice guidelines of different Spanish health care institutions.