Physical activity, physical fitness and cardiometabolic health among Finnish military workers
Pietiläinen, E., Parkkola, K., Vasankari, T., Santtila, M., Luukkaala, T., & Kyröläinen, H. (2024). Physical activity, physical fitness and cardiometabolic health among Finnish military workers. BMJ Military Health, Early online, Article e002800. https://doi.org/10.1136/military-2024-002800
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BMJ Military HealthAuthors
Date
2024Copyright
© 2024 the Authors
Introduction
The Western lifestyle challenges national defence. Inactivity, obesity, high BP and elevated lipid and glucose levels as well as tobacco use all increase cardiometabolic risk. The present study was thus aimed at investigating the health and physical activity of employees in a military environment, concentrating on comparisons between soldiers and civilians.
Methods and design
A total of 260 employees from 6 brigades were included in the present study. Health status was evaluated with body composition, cardiometabolic risk markers from laboratory samples and a questionnaire concerning lifestyle habits. Body composition was assessed by means of body mass, body mass index, fat percentage and waist circumference. Furthermore, physical activity was examined by the aid of accelerometer recordings for a 2-week period, and physical fitness via aerobic and muscle fitness tests. Finally, upper-quartile active and lower-quartile passive participants were compared, by incorporating mean daily step counts.
Results
When standardised by gender, there were no differences between the soldiers and civilians except for the muscle fitness test, in which soldiers performed better. The mean (±SD) moderate to vigorous activity was 0.9±0.3 hours/day in male soldiers and 1.0±0.4 hours/day in male civilians, and respectively sedentary behaviour was 9.5±1.4 hours/day in male soldiers and 8.9±1.7 hours/day in male civilians. The mean (±SD) low-density lipoprotein values were 3.28±0.84 mmol/L in male soldiers and 3.36±0.86 mmol/L in male civilians. In comparing soldiers and civilians, statistically significant differences were observed in body composition, physical fitness, insulin, fasting glucose, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein values between the upper-quartile active and lower-quartile passive participants, but no difference in low-density lipoprotein values was noticed.
Conclusions
Sedentary behaviour and elevated low-density lipoprotein values seem to increase cardiometabolic disease risk among participants, even if they meet the weekly physical activity demands.
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BMJ Publishing GroupISSN Search the Publication Forum
2633-3767Keywords
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- Liikuntatieteiden tiedekunta [3148]
Additional information about funding
This study was funded by National Defense Support Foundation of Finland (grant no. TELI/2020/2021); Finnish Defense Forces Centre for Military Medicine (grant no. 23.11.2018, 3813/01.03.00/2019, 7000075612, BR12768); The Finnish Medical Society Duodecim (grant no. TELI/2018); Finnish Defence Command (16.11.2017, AN20429); Finnish Defence Forces Centre for Military Medicine RD Executive Team (BM9746/6.12./29.9.2016). ...License
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