Regular physical exercise before entering military service may protect young adult men from fatigue fractures
Background Bone stress fractures are overuse injuries commonly encountered in sports and military medicine. Some fatigue fractures lead to morbidity and loss of active, physically-demanding training days. We evaluated the incidence, anatomical location, risk factors, and preventive measures for fatigue fractures in young Finnish male conscripts. Methods Five cohorts of 1000 men performing military service, classified according to birth year (1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989), were analysed. Each conscript was followed for his full military service period (180 days for conscripts with rank and file duties, 270 days for those with special training, 362 days for officers and highly trained conscri…
Incidence and Risk Factors of Upper Extremity Injuries in Young Adult Men: A Nationwide Registry-Based Study of 128,714 Conscripts
AbstractIntroductionInjuries are the major cause of morbidity and loss of active training days in military populations. Previous investigations have mainly focused on lower extremities. This study evaluated the incidence, diagnosis, and risk factors of upper extremity injuries requiring hospitalization in a large cohort of Finnish conscripts during a 5-year period.Materials and MethodsA total of 128,714 male military conscripts, who served 6–12 months in compulsory military service, were studied. Injury hospitalization data were obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Register. The main outcome variables were hospitalization due to any injuries to the upper extremity and hospitalizati…
Use of dietary supplements and anabolic-androgenic steroids among Finnish adolescents in 1991-2005.
Background : The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence, trends and associated factors of dietary supplements (DS) and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use among Finnish adolescents. Methods: The sample comprised 30 511 adolescents aged 12–18 years, of which 22 519 (74%) answered a questionnaire. We also studied associations between 14 socioeconomic, health and health behavioural variables and DS and AAS use by logistic regression. Results: The proportion of respondents using DS was 45% during the past year and it increased linearly by age. Vitamins (37%) and herbal products (13%) were the most common DSs. In 1991, 9% of the boys aged 16–18 years reported protein use, while the f…
Low back pain during military service predicts low back pain later in life
The aim of the present study was to assess associations between physician diagnosed unspecified low back pain (LBP) during compulsory military service and self-reported LBP and physical fitness measured on average four years after military service. From a total of 1155 persons who had been pass medical examination for military service and who had completed physically demanding military training between 1997 and 2007, 778 men participated in a refresher military training course and physical tests. In this study, the association between LBP during military service and LBP in later life in addition to the association between LBP and physical fitness were examined. A total of 219 out of 778 par…
Associations of serum 25(OH)D levels with physical performance and anabolic hormones in young men
Purpose: The present study examined the association of vitamin D measured by serum 25(OH)D with physical performance outcomes and serum levels of anabolic hormones in young men.Methods: 412 young men (age 19 ± 1 year) entering their compulsory military service volunteered to participate in the study. The study consisted of two groups from two different military bases: Group A was studied in January and group B in July. The groups were first compared with each other and due to statistically significant (p < 0.001 analyzed with independent samples t-test) differences in physical condition (sit-up, push-up, and standing long jump-tests and testosterone levels) between the groups, groups…
Incidence and Risk Factors of Upper Extremity Injuries in Young Adult Men : A Nationwide Registry-Based Study of 128,714 Conscripts
Introduction Injuries are the major cause of morbidity and loss of active training days in military populations. Previous investigations have mainly focused on lower extremities. This study evaluated the incidence, diagnosis, and risk factors of upper extremity injuries requiring hospitalization in a large cohort of Finnish conscripts during a 5-year period. Materials and Methods A total of 128,714 male military conscripts, who served 6–12 months in compulsory military service, were studied. Injury hospitalization data were obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Register. The main outcome variables were hospitalization due to any injuries to the upper extremity and hospitalization du…
Association between spinal disorders and different domains of physical activity among young adult men
BackgroundThere is limited evidence of how physical activity (PA) associates with low back pain (LBP) and neck pain (NP). Particularly, the association between occupational or commuting PA and LBP/NP is unclear. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between spinal disorders and different physical activity domains in young and healthy adult men.MethodsSelf-reported leisure time, occupational and commuting PA, as well as LBP and NP, were studied using questionnaires among young Finnish males (n = 1,630). Logistic regression analysis was used to study the associations of PA domains, physical fitness, and spinal disorders. Regression models were adjuste…