Coppack Russell J, Bilzon J L, Wills A K, Papadopoulou T, Cassidy R P, Nicol A M, Bennett A N
Academic Department of Military Rehabilitation, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall, Loughborough, UK
Versus Arthritis Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
BMJ Mil Health. 2022 Aug;168(4):273-278. doi: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001404. Epub 2020 Mar 30.
Despite the high prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries, there is a shortage of data quantifying the risk factors attributable to cumulative occupational demands among UK Military personnel. We developed a new comprehensive questionnaire that examines occupational and operational physical loading during military service. The aim of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability of the Military Physical Loading Questionnaire (MPLQ).
Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to evaluate the test-retest reliability (4-week interval) of the MPLQ on 18 occupational and 18 operational items in 50 male (mean age: 36 years; SD ±7.9) UK military personnel. A stratified analysis based on duration of Service (0-10 years, 11-20 years and ≥21 years) was conducted to assess whether stability of task items was dependent on participant length of recall. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficients.
Reliability of individual operational items ranged from fair to almost perfect agreement (ICC range: 0.37-0.89; α range: 0.53-0.94) with most items demonstrating moderate to substantial reliability. Overall scores related to occupational items showed substantial to almost perfect agreement between administrations (ICC range: 0.73-0.94; α range: 0.84-0.96). Stratifying by duration of Service showed similar within group reliability to the entire sample and no pattern of decreasing or increasing reliability with length of recall period was observed.
It is essential that data used in planning UK military policy and health services are as accurate as possible. This study provides preliminary support for the MPLQ as a reliable self-report instrument for assessing the cumulative lifelong effects of occupational loading in UK military personnel. Further validation studies using larger and more demographically diverse military populations will support its interpretation in future epidemiological research.
尽管肌肉骨骼损伤的患病率很高，但在英国军事人员中，量化累积职业需求所致风险因素的数据却很匮乏。我们开发了一份新的综合问卷，用于调查军事服役期间的职业和作战身体负荷情况。本研究的目的是检验军事身体负荷问卷（MPLQ）的重测信度。
使用组内相关系数（ICC）评估50名英国男性军事人员（平均年龄：36岁；标准差±7.9）对MPLQ中18个职业项目和18个作战项目的重测信度（间隔4周）。基于服役时长（0至10年、11至20年和≥21年）进行分层分析，以评估任务项目的稳定性是否取决于参与者的回忆时长。通过克朗巴哈α（α）系数评估内部一致性。
各个作战项目的信度从一般到几乎完全一致不等（ICC范围：0.37至0.89；α范围：0.53至0.94），大多数项目显示出中等至较高的信度。与职业项目相关的总体得分在两次施测之间显示出较高至几乎完全一致（ICC范围：0.73至0.94；α范围：0.84至0.96）。按服役时长分层显示，组内信度与整个样本相似，未观察到信度随回忆期长度而降低或增加的模式。
规划英国军事政策和卫生服务所使用的数据必须尽可能准确。本研究为MPLQ作为评估英国军事人员职业负荷终身累积影响的可靠自我报告工具提供了初步支持。使用更大且人口统计学上更具多样性的军事人群进行的进一步验证研究将支持其在未来流行病学研究中的应用。
