Injuries, physical fitness, and body mass index in a population of U.S. Army Reserve personnel

Abstract: Introduction: US Army Reserve personnel are expected to meet the same fitness and readiness standards as their Active Duty counterparts, but little is known about health factors among Reservists. This investigation presents data on injuries, fitness and body mass index (BMI) for Reservists participating in a new health and fitness program. Methods: Twenty-one US Army Reserve units were selected to participate. Electronic surveys were administered in 2021 to collect baseline data on recent injuries, fitness and demographics. Demographics and injury details were summarised. Differences in injury prevalence by BMI and aerobic fitness (Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) 2-mile run time) were reported. Results: Among the 2095 baseline survey respondents, most were male (72%), white (60%) and 30 ± 10 years old on average. More than a quarter of men (28%) and over one-third of women (35%) reported at least one injury in the previous 12 months. Commonly reported injuries included strains (19%) and sprains (12%), often involving the lower back (21%) or knees (19%), and were frequently attributed to running (22%) or weightlifting (18%). Over half of respondents (57%) passed the ACFT. About one-quarter of men (24%) and 16% of women were classified as obese. Men and women classified as obese had an injury prevalence 1.6 times higher than those with normal BMI (p<0.001). Likewise, injury prevalence among women with slower 2-mile run times was 1.6 times higher than the fastest runners (p<0.05). Conclusion: Injuries in this sample of Reservists were similar to those reported in other military populations despite differing exposures and demographic distributions. Maintenance of a healthy weight status should be emphasised for Reservists, along with appropriate physical training resources for military duties. These results should inform future public health programming in the US Army Reserve.