Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Military Medicine, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
BMJ Mil Health. 2023 Jun;169(3):225-230. doi: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001776. Epub 2021 Mar 31.
Infantry recruit attrition wastes resources and can affect combat readiness. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of preinduction tests as a predictor of attrition among conscripts in the first year of infantry training.
303 infantry conscripted recruits participated in a prospective study. Before their service, recruits received health profile and Quality Group Scores (QGSs). Recruits were screened at induction using questionnaires, by functional movement screening (FMS) and by upper and lower quarter Y-balance, dynamic and anthropometric tests. They were followed for musculoskeletal injuries and attrition during the first year of training.
165/303 (54.5%) recruits were diagnosed with musculoskeletal injury or pain during the first year of their training. 15.2% did not complete their first year of service as combatants and 5.9% were discharged. On multivariable binary stepwise logistic regression analysis for attrition, protective factors were higher QGSs (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.89) and recruits diagnosed with musculoskeletal injuries or pain (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.48). Pain in the balance test performed at the beginning of training was a risk factor (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.44 to 7.61). These factors explained only 15.4% of the variance in attrition.
FMS was not a significant predictor of infantry attrition. Measuring the three variables found to be associated with infantry attrition would seem to be valuable when the number of infantry candidates greatly exceeds the number of infantry positions. Transferring infantry attriters to non-combatant roles and not discharging them is a way to manage the problem of attrition.
步兵新兵流失浪费资源，会影响战备能力。本研究旨在探讨新兵入伍前测试能否预测新兵在步兵训练第一年的流失率。
303 名应征入伍的新兵参加了一项前瞻性研究。在入伍前，新兵接受健康状况和质量组评分（QGS）。新兵在入伍时接受问卷调查、功能运动筛查（FMS）以及上下肢 Y 平衡、动态和人体测量测试进行筛选。对新兵在第一年训练期间的肌肉骨骼损伤和流失情况进行随访。
165/303（54.5%）名新兵在第一年训练期间被诊断出肌肉骨骼损伤或疼痛。15.2%的新兵未能完成第一年的战斗服务，5.9%的新兵被遣散。多变量二项逐步逻辑回归分析显示，保护因素为较高的 QGS（OR 0.78，95%CI 0.69 至 0.89）和新兵被诊断出肌肉骨骼损伤或疼痛（OR 0.20，95%CI 0.09 至 0.48）。在训练开始时进行的平衡测试中出现疼痛是一个风险因素（OR 3.31，95%CI 1.44 至 7.61）。这些因素仅解释了新兵流失率 15.4%的差异。
FMS 不是步兵流失率的显著预测因素。当步兵候选人的数量远远超过步兵职位的数量时，测量与步兵流失率相关的三个变量似乎是有价值的。将步兵流失者转移到非战斗角色而不将其开除是解决流失问题的一种方法。
