Meta-analysis of Cigarette Smoking and Musculoskeletal Injuries in Military Training

Tobacco use is common among military personnel, as is musculoskeletal injury during training. In a review of the literature on musculoskeletal injuries, there was mixed evidence on the role of smoking as a risk factor. The purpose of this study is to review and analyze the literature on the impact of cigarette smoking on lower-extremity overuse injuries in military training.

We performed a literature search on articles published through October 2016. Search terms focused on lower-extremity overuse musculoskeletal injuries and cigarette smoking in military populations. We conducted a meta-analysis overall and by sex, including smoking intensity.

We identified 129 potential studies and selected 18 based on quality. The overall rate ratio for smoking was 1.31, 1.31 for men, and 1.23 for women. Overall and for each sex, rate ratios were significantly greater than 1.0 for each intensity level of smoking.

Smoking is a moderate risk factor for musculoskeletal injury and may account for a meaningful proportion of injuries among men and women due to the high prevalence of smoking and injury in this population. Although enlistees are not allowed to smoke during basic training, their risk of injury remains high, indicating that smokers may remain at increased risk for medium- to long-term duration.