US Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps Cadets' Knowledge of Exercise-related Musculoskeletal Injuries

Abstract

Musculoskeletal injuries, especially resulting from physical training, are a significant threat to military readiness. Due to costs related to treating injuries and the high probability of chronic, recurrent injuries, prevention should be a primary focus to maximize human performance and military success. However, in the US Army, many personnel are uninformed on injury prevention topics, and no research has identified injury prevention knowledge gaps in military leaders. This study examined the current knowledge of US Army ROTC cadets on injury prevention topics. This cross-sectional study was conducted at two university ROTC programs in the US. Cadets completed a questionnaire to identify participants' knowledge of injury risk factors and effective prevention strategies. Participants' perceptions of their leadership and their desires for future injury prevention education were also assessed. The survey was completed by 114 cadets. Except for dehydration and prior injury, participants had a greater than 10% incorrect response rate for questions regarding the impact of various factors on injury risk. Overall, participants displayed a positive view of their leadership's interest in injury prevention. The majority (74%) of participants reported a preference to receive injury prevention educational materials via electronic delivery. To develop implementation strategies and educational materials for injury prevention, identifying current injury prevention knowledge of military personnel should be a priority for researchers and military leaders. The initial military training of future officers is a critical time for further research and education efforts to improve the effectiveness and adoption of injury prevention strategies.

Keywords: Military; injury prevention; physical training.

Figure 1

Percentage distribution of self-reported injury causes among respondents who reported an injury (n = 43). Cadets most frequently self-reported running as the primary mechanism for injuries sustained during the 12 months prior to completing the survey.

Figure 2

Percentage distribution of respondents’ perceptions of leadership interest in injury prevention. A: 80% of cadets agree that their leadership makes injury prevention a priority. B: 46% of cadets agree that they are provided information to help reduce injuries. C: 61% of cadets agree that they are informed about injuries within their ROTC program. D: 66% of cadets agree that their leadership models injury prevention efforts.

Figure 3

Respondents’ choices of activities for which they were interested in receiving further injury prevention information. Running, weight-lifting, agility training, ruck marching, and extreme conditioning training were the most frequently chosen activities of interest for cadets. Note: Total number of responses to this question exceed the total number of responses to the survey as respondents were allowed to select all activities for which they had interest in learning more.

Figure 4

The types of injuries for which respondents would like further information. Strains were the injury type most frequently chosen followed by fractures, sprains, and tendinopathies. Note: Total number of responses to this question exceed the total number of responses to the survey as respondents were allowed to select all injury types for which they would like further information.