Fitness, obesity and risk of asthma among Army trainees
N Urban1, M R Boivin2, D N Cowan3
1Preventive Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA, ManTech Advanced Systems International, Inc., 12015 Lee Jackson Highway, Fairfax, VA 22033, USA.
Background:
Epidemiological data suggest an association between overweight/obesity and asthma. However, less is known about the relationship between physical fitness and asthma.
Aims:
To enumerate new-onset asthma diagnoses in Army recruits during the first 2 years of service and determine associations with fitness and excess body fat (EBF) at military entrance.
Methods:
New asthma diagnoses over 2 years in Army recruits at six entrance stations were obtained from military health and personnel records. Poisson regression models were used to determine associations of asthma diagnosis with pre-accession fitness testing, EBF and other potential factors.
Results:
In 9979 weight-qualified and 1117 EBF entrants with no prior history of asthma, 256 new cases of asthma were diagnosed within 2 years of military entry. Low level of fitness, defined by a step test and EBF, was significantly associated with new asthma diagnosis [adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.96 and adjusted IRR, 1.53; 95% CI 1.06-2.20, respectively].
Conclusions:
Individuals with low fitness levels, EBF or both are at higher risk of asthma diagnosis in the first 2 years of military service.
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