Indicators of sequential fitness assessment failures for Travis Air Force Base airmen who attend the Be Well Course

This retrospective community intervention trial evaluated the Be Well course--a mandatory lifestyle intervention course for airmen who fail the U.S. Air Force fitness assessment (FA)--at Travis Air Force Base from November 1, 2010 to February 1, 2011.

Pre-existing data (N = 276) were analyzed for change in FA scores and for predictors of future outcomes.

On the subsequent FA after completing Be Well, males and females scored significantly higher on total points, aerobic fitness, push-ups, and sit-ups (p < 0.001 for all), and males had lower body mass indices (BMI; p = 0.005) and smaller abdominal circumferences (AC; p < 0.001), as compared to their initial FA. As opposed to those who passed the subsequent FA, those who failed consecutively had significantly higher BMIs (p < 0.001), larger ACs (p < 0.001), and lower total scores (p < 0.0001) at the time of the initial failure.

The Be Well course is an effective tool and should remain a component of remedial training for airmen who fail the Air Force FA. Stratification of failure should be considered at the policy level, with special consideration given to the risk factors of high BMI, large AC, and low total FA score.