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Performance Nutrition Dining Facility Intervention Improves Special Operations Soldiers' Diet Quality and Meal
Renee E Cole1, Asma S Bukhari2, Catherine M Champagne3
1Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.
Objective:
To assess the impact of the Special Operations Forces Human Performance Program dining facility (DFAC) intervention on patron diet quality and meal satisfaction.
Design:
Nonrandomized, controlled time series study using digital food photography and surveys pre-post intervention (0, 4, 8, and 12 months).
Setting:
Two Fort Bragg, NC military installation DFACs.
Participants:
Volunteers (n = 688 total; n = 573 complete dataset) were US Army active duty soldiers.
Intervention:
The DFAC intervention included food choice architecture, new performance-optimizing food recipes to increase nutrient density, revised menus to offer more performance foods daily, and nutrition labeling to influence food choice.
Main Outcome Measures:
Daily DFAC nutrient intake and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010 scores.
Analysis:
Descriptive and ANOVA statistical analyses were performed between control and intervention groups and from baseline to 4, 8, and 12 months postintervention (α = .05; 80% power).
Results:
The intervention resulted in a higher posttest HEI score (60.1 ± 8.8 points; +3.4%; P = .005) and DFAC satisfaction compared with control (49.0 ± 10.4 points; P > .05). Improved intervention HEI scores were attributed to changes in citrus and melon fruit (+46%), red and orange vegetables (+35%), whole grains (+181%), legumes (65%), yogurt (+45%), oils (-26%), and solid fat (-18%) consumption (all P < .05).
Conclusions And Implications:
These data illustrate that the Special Operations Forces Human Performance Program military DFAC nutrition intervention was feasible to implement and was associated with diet quality improvements. Access to high-quality ingredients and recipes may improve soldier meal quality and acceptance in other settings and warrants further investigation.