The purpose of this study is to determine whether the new sport concept of the Swiss Armed Forces influences the physical and psychological fitness of the recruits.
The physical and psychological demands in the Swiss Army basic military service are high. Injury incidences in Swiss Army training schools are higher than in armed forces of other countries.There is evidence that progressive loading of physical demands at the beginning of basic military service and specific physical training can reduce injury incidences and attrition rates. A new sport concept by the Swiss Army takes into account these results of previous studies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the influences of this new sport concept on the physical and psychological fitness as well as on the injury and attrition rates of the recruits.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
722
2 x 90 minutes strength training and sport games and 2 x 30 minutes endurance training per week during 18 weeks of basic military training
Casern of the Swiss Army rescue training school 75
Wangen an der Aare, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
Number of Participants With Injuries
All injuries which are registered in the patient's medical record are collected and classified. A classification system which takes into account anatomical site, circumstances of the accident, and severity of the injury is used.
Time frame: During the basic military training (18 weeks)
Physical Fitness Measured With the Swiss Physical Fitness Test Battery (SPFTB)
Physical Fitness is measured with the Swiss physical fitness test battery (SPFTB). The SPFTB contains a progressive endurance run, a trunk muscle strength test, a standing long jump, a seated shot put, and a one-leg standing test. From the results of those performance tests (0 to 25 points each), a total fitness score is calculated (sum of all points). The minimum total score (worst result) is 0 points, the maximum total score (best result) is 125 points. A detailed description of the SPFTB can be found in the publication of Wyss, Marti, Rossi, Kohler and Mäder (2007).
Time frame: Weeks 2, 10 and 16 of the basic military training
Psychological Questionnaires
2 questionaires concerning resilience were used: The Resilience Scale 11 (Schumacher, Leppert, Gunzelmann, Strauss \& Brähler, 2005) and the Brief Resilience Scale (Smith, Dalen, Wiggings, Tooley, Christopher \& Bernard, 2008). A mean was calculated for each time point. The total score ranges from 1 (worst result) to 7 (best result).
Time frame: Weeks 2, 10 and 16 of the basic military training
Military Performance According to Military Marks
Military marks are given by superior Army personnel. The total score ranges from 1 (insufficient) to 5 (excellent). In total, three marks are given during the whole basic military training (after 7, 11 and 16 weeks). Data from those three time points are combined in a single value (mean).
Time frame: During the basic military training (18 weeks)
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Questionnaire About Health and Physical Activities
Time frame: Week 1 of the basic military training and 3 months after finishing the basic military training
Attrition Rate
Withdrawals from the military service are reported by the training school's secretariat
Time frame: During the whole basic military training (18 weeks)