Comprehensive Assessment of the Health and Nutritional Status of Active-Duty United States Army Soldiers: The Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study Protocol.

BACKGROUND

The Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study (MHANES) is modeled after the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). NHANES does not enroll active-duty Service Members, who are exposed to unique and adverse occupational challenges compared with civilians. Therefore, NHANES data are not generalizable to Service Members.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of MHANES is to fill this gap by assessing dietary intake, cardiometabolic health, body composition, biomarkers of nutritional status and health, mental well-being, injury prevalence, genetics, gut microbiome composition, and physical performance in a representative sample of Army Soldiers.

METHODS

MHANES recruited Soldiers (n = 648) from Army installations across the United States. Participants attended an in-person visit to complete a 24-h dietary recall and questionnaires regarding demographics, physical and mental health, physical activity and performance, and dietary supplement and medication use. Height, weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate variability, physical activity, sleep, resting metabolic rate, hemoglobin mass, and blood volume were measured. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance, 3-dimensional body imaging, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and circumference measurements. Blood and urine samples were collected to measure biomarkers of nutritional status, health, and genetics. Stool samples were collected to assess microbial diversity and composition. A second 24-h dietary recall was administered 3 to 10 d after the in-person visit.

CONCLUSIONS

Data collected will be used to determine disease risk and prevalence and to investigate relationships between dietary intake, nutritional status, and markers of health and disease in Army Soldiers. Findings will guide evidence-based screening, education, intervention strategies, and policy decisions to improve Army health. Although the current study is focused exclusively on United States Army Soldiers, a long-term goal is to expand this research to other service branches and include additional sampling cycles similar to NHANES.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT06380322.