Military medicine
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There is mounting evidence of respiratory problems related to military service in the Middle East in the past two decades due to environmental exposures during deployment (eg, sand storms and burn pits). This pilot study tests the hypothesis that regional lung function in subjects with prior deployment in Iraq and/or Afghanistan with suspected War Lung Injury (WLI) would be worse than subjects with normal lung function. ⋯ This is consistent with our premise that WLI results in abnormal lung function and reflects small airways dysfunction and suggests that we may be able to provide a more sensitive tool for evaluation of WLI suspected cases.
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Musculoskeletal overuse injuries are a serious problem in the military, particularly in basic combat training, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost because of limited duty days, medical treatment, and high rates of reinjury. Injury risk models have been developed using peripheral computed tomography (pQCT)-based injury correlates. However, pQCT image capture on large number of recruits is not practical for military settings. Thus, this article presents a method to derive spatial density pQCT images from much lower resolution but more accessible dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). ⋯ High potential exists to create a practical protocol using DXA in place of pQCT to assess stress fracture risk and aid in mitigating musculoskeletal injuries seen in military recruits.
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Scholars have described military deployments as one of the most stressful aspects of life for military couples. Deployment affects multiple roles and family members, yet little is known about the degree to which postdeployment outcomes are accounted for by predeployment functioning independent of deployment experiences. ⋯ Study findings reinforce the importance of predeployment preparation, providing families with resources to maximize resilience in response to the stress of deployment.
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the effects of obesity on health are a concern for the military as they affect the fitness to serve of active service members, increase costs to the Military Health System, and reduce quality of life for veterans and beneficiaries. Although obesity can be influenced by behavioral and environmental factors, it has also been shown to be associated with genetic risk factors that are not fully understood. ⋯ the finding of an association between rs11670527 and BMI adds to the growing body of literature characterizing the complex genetics of obesity. These efforts may eventually inform personalized interventions aimed at achieving and maintaining healthy weight.
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The goal of the present study was to characterize behavioral health rates, behavioral health care utilization, loneliness, and perceived prejudice and support among sexual minority soldiers. ⋯ Organizational barriers, such as perceived prejudice and lack of support, appear to still exist for sexual minority soldiers. Increasing organizational support and implementing training and education for health care providers in order to better support the LGB soldier community may mitigate these barriers.