3rd Brigade, Australian Army, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
School of Public Health, Curtin University Bentley Campus, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
BMJ Mil Health. 2022 Oct;168(5):386-390. doi: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001481. Epub 2020 Aug 5.
Recent studies have shown an increasing number of overweight and obese members serving in many armies. Overweight and obesity can be estimated using either body mass index or waist circumference measures. The aim of this research was to estimate the proportion of the Australian Army considered to be overweight and obese by waist circumference using the proxy measure of issued combat uniform waist size.
The Australian Army has been progressively replacing combat uniforms with a new uniform design and camouflage pattern since 2016. The total number of issued combat uniforms by size was obtained from the points of issue for the three Australian Army combat brigades from the first issue of the new uniform in January 2016 through to November 2019. The waist size of issued combat pants was collated from each of the three points of issue, adjusted for measured waist size accuracy and sex, and analysed to estimate the proportion of overweight and obese soldiers in the Australian Army.
There were a total of 155 735 combat pants issued across the three points of issue. The mean waist size based on combat uniform pant size was found to be 90.4 cm, with an SD of 7.5 cm. Based on these data, approximately 23.3% of the Australian Army population can be estimated to be overweight and an additional 4.5% to be obese.
The Australian Army, like many western armies, has a significant proportion of overweight personnel. This can negatively affect operational capability, health and future healthcare costs both within the military and to society after military service has concluded. This is the first study to use a uniform waist size as a proxy to estimate overweight and obesity. This technique has application for the military, emergency services or any other organisation in which uniforms are provided.
最近的研究表明，许多军队中超重和肥胖的成员人数不断增加。超重和肥胖可以通过身体质量指数或腰围测量来估计。本研究的目的是使用已发放的作战制服腰围尺寸的替代指标，根据腰围估计澳大利亚军队中被认为超重和肥胖的比例。
自 2016 年以来，澳大利亚军队一直在逐步用新的制服设计和迷彩图案取代作战制服。从 2016 年 1 月首次发放新制服到 2019 年 11 月，通过澳大利亚陆军的三个战斗旅的发放点，获得了按尺寸发放的总作战制服数量。从三个发放点中的每一个收集已发放作战裤的腰围尺寸，对其进行测量腰围尺寸的准确性和性别调整，并进行分析，以估计澳大利亚军队中超重和肥胖士兵的比例。
在三个发放点共发放了 155735 条作战裤。根据作战制服裤尺寸，发现平均腰围尺寸为 90.4 厘米，标准差为 7.5 厘米。根据这些数据，估计大约 23.3%的澳大利亚军队人口超重，另外 4.5%肥胖。
与许多西方国家的军队一样，澳大利亚军队中超重人员的比例很大。这会对作战能力、健康以及军人退役后军队和社会的未来医疗保健成本产生负面影响。这是第一项使用制服腰围尺寸作为代理来估计超重和肥胖的研究。这种技术适用于军队、紧急服务部门或任何其他提供制服的组织。
