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. 2009 Jan;174(1):1-8.
doi: 10.7205/milmed-d-03-7807.

Military services fitness database: development of a computerized physical fitness and weight management database for the U.S. Army

Donald A Williamson  1 , Gaston P Bathalon, Lori D Sigrist, H Raymond Allen, Karl E Friedl, Andrew J Young, Corby K Martin, Tiffany M Stewart, Lolita Burrell, Hongmei Han, Van S Hubbard, Donna Ryan
Affiliations

Military services fitness database: development of a computerized physical fitness and weight management database for the U.S. Army

Donald A Williamson et al. Mil Med. 2009 Jan.

Abstract

The Department of Defense (DoD) has mandated development of a system to collect and manage data on the weight, percent body fat (%BF), and fitness of all military personnel. This project aimed to (1) develop a computerized weight and fitness database to track individuals and Army units over time allowing cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluations and (2) test the computerized system for feasibility and integrity of data collection over several years of usage. The computer application, the Military Services Fitness Database (MSFD), was designed for (1) storage and tracking of data related to height, weight, %BF for the Army Weight Control Program (AWCP) and Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) scores and (2) generation of reports using these data. A 2.5-year pilot test of the MSFD indicated that it monitors population and individual trends of changing body weight, %BF, and fitness in a military population.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A sample data entry page from the MSFD. These sample data are anonymous; the soldier’s name consists of a randomly generated list of letters.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
An example of one of the forms that the MSFD automatically produces, when required. These sample data are anonymous; the soldier’s name consists of a randomly generated list of letters and the Social Security number is a randomly generated list of numbers.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
A sample report from the MSFD of soldiers who passed the APFT. These sample data are fictitious; the soldier’s name consists of a randomly generated list of letters, with the exception of the first two soldiers whose names were fabricated.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
(A) Least square mean of weight (kg) over time by gender. (B) Least square mean of weight deviation (kg) over time by gender. (C) Least square mean of BMI (kg/m2) over time by gender. The sample included 423 men and 261 women. Figure B summarizes the same information, expressed as a deviation from the maximum allowable screening weight. This approach corrects for gender and changes in age. Figure C summarizes the same information, expressed as mean body mass index (BMI).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Distribution of “deviation scores” (soldier’s actual weight minus the gender and age-specific weight-for-height allowance) at fall 2003 (top panel) and fall 2005 (bottom panel) for men (A) and women (B). Underweight (under the weight-for-height allowance) vs. overweight (over the weight-for-height allowance) status is represented by having scores to the right or left, respectively, of the dashed line that transects the histograms.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Body fat percent measurement and pass/fail rate for men (A) and women (B).
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Least square means of APFT total score for 494 soldiers who had at least 3 APFT scores out of 5 observations over 2 years (324 male and 170 female) are shown. Asterisks (*) indicate males and females differed significantly (p < 0.05).
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References

    1. Department of Defense Instruction 1308.3. DoD Physical Fitness and Body Fat Programs Procedures. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office; 2002.
    1. Singer B, Palmer B, Rogers B, Smith J. Military Services Physical Fitness and Weight Management Database: A Review and Analysis, O. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. OH: Human Systems IAC; 2002.
    1. US Army. Army Regulation 600-9. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2006. The Army Weight Control Program.
    1. Vogel JA, Kirkpatrick JW, Fitzgerald PI, Hodgdon JA, Harman EA. Derivation of anthropometry based body fat equations for the Army’s weight control program. U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine; Natick, MA: 1988. Technical Report T17–88.
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