Statins and Musculoskeletal Conditions in U.S. Air Force Active Duty Aviators.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of statin use and musculoskeletal conditions within the population of U.S. Air Force active duty aviators.

The Commander's Wellness Program: Assessing the Association Between Health Measures and Physical Fitness Assessment Scores, Fitness Assessment Exemptions, and Duration of Limited Duty.

Introduction: Air Force Medical Service health promotions staff have identified a set of evidenced-based interventions targeting tobacco use, sleep habits, obesity/healthy weight, and physical activity that could be integrated, packaged, and deployed as a Commander's Wellness Program. The premise of the program is that improvements in the aforementioned aspects of the health of unit members will directly benefit commanders in terms of members' fitness assessment scores and the duration of periods of limited duty. The purpose of this study is to validate the Commander's Wellness Program assumption that body mass index (BMI), physical activity habits, tobacco use, sleep, and nutritional habits are associated with physical fitness assessment scores, fitness assessment exemptions, and aggregate days of limited duty in the population of active duty U.

Assessment of Deployment-Related Exposures on Risk of Incident Mental Health Diagnoses Among Air Force Medical Service Personnel: Nested Case-Control Study.

Background: Recent military conflicts in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom), Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom), and elsewhere have been associated with psychological impacts among military personnel. However, relatively little is known about the relationship between those conflicts and psychological health of military health care professionals. Previous work has shown certain demographic factors associated with diagnosed mental health conditions after deployment.

Risk Factors for Hearing Decrement Among U.S. Air Force Aviation-Related Personnel.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to analyze historical hearing sensitivity data to determine factors associated with an occupationally significant change in hearing sensitivity in U.S. Air Force aviation-related personnel.

Health- and Performance-Related Outcomes in Air Force Medical Service Personnel with a Post-Deployment Mental Health Condition.

Background: This study examined associations between incident post-deployment mental health (PDMH) conditions and health- and performance-related outcomes in the population of Air Force Medical Service personnel on active duty between 2003 and 2013 who had at least one deployment.

Methods: Using a posttest-only with nonequivalent groups design, the study cohort was divided into two groups based on the occurrence of an incident PDMH condition, and the groups were then compared in terms of the following health- and performance-related outcomes: health care and pharmaceutical utilization, duty and mobility restrictions, and physical fitness assessment exemptions and composite fitness score. Archival data were extracted from existing databases and associations were assessed using both parametric and nonparametric approaches.

Modeling Predictors of Duties Not Including Flying Status.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to reuse available datasets to conduct an analysis of potential predictors of U.S. Air Force aircrew nonavailability in terms of being in "duties not to include flying" (DNIF) status.

Statins and Musculoskeletal Conditions in U.S. Air Force Active Duty Service Members.

Background: This study examined the association of statin use and musculoskeletal conditions in statin users and nonusers within the population of U.S. Air Force active duty Service members in the military health care system.

Statin Therapy in Low-Risk Air Force Aviators with Isolated Hypercholesterolemia.

Introduction: This study evaluated the use of statin therapy in U.S. Air Force (USAF) aviators with isolated hypercholesterolemia in terms of compliance with clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and effectiveness in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.

Risk Factors for Incident Postdeployment Mental Health Conditions Among U.S. Air Force Medical Service Personnel.

The prevalence of postdeployment mental health (PDMH) conditions in military health care personnel appears to be on par with that of other military personnel. However, there is no comprehensive analysis of incident PDMH conditions within the overall population of U.S.

A 10-Year Cross-Sectional Analysis of Air Force Flight and Operational Medicine Clinic Health Care Services.

Objectives: This study described the patient population and the health care services delivered in the Air Force Flight and Operational Medicine Clinics (FOMCs) over the past 10 years.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed on the retrospective cohort of patients who received care at a FOMC from 2003 to 2012.

Results: A total of 714,157 individuals, generating 4,829,626 encounters, were included in the cohort.

Assessment of Deployment-Related Exposures on Risk of Incident Mental Health Diagnoses Among Air Force Critical Care Providers: Nested Case-Control Study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between deployment-related occupational/environmental exposures and incident postdeployment mental health (PDMH) conditions in a defined population of military health care professionals working in the deployed critical care environment.

Methods: A nested case-control study compared cohort members with a PDMH condition (cases, N = 146) with those without a PDMH condition (controls, N = 800) in terms of deployment-related exposures as ascertained using Postdeployment Health Assessment DD 2796 questionnaire data. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to compute odds ratios.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Core Strengthening Exercises in Helicopter Crewmembers with Low Back Pain.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if five core strengthening exercises would decrease pain severity and related disability in U.S. Air Force helicopter aircrew members with low back pain.

Risk of incident mental health conditions among critical care air transport team members.

Background: This study investigated whether Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) members are at increased risk for incident post-deployment mental health conditions.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 604 U.S.

Accommodating adolescent sleep-wake patterns: the effects of shifting the timing of sleep on training effectiveness.

Study Objective: This study evaluated the effect of accommodating adolescent sleep-wake patterns by altering the timing of the major sleep period of US Army recruits.

Design: The quasi-experimental study compared recruits assigned to one of two training companies: one with a customary sleep regimen (20:30 to 04:30) while the other employed a phase-delayed sleep regimen (23:00 to 07:00), the latter aligning better with biologically driven sleep-wake patterns of adolescents.

Setting: The study was conducted during Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Fatigue in pilots of remotely piloted aircraft before and after shift work adjustment.

Background: Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) with long endurance allow near-continuous operations, necessitating the implementation of shift work for crewmembers to provide the necessary manning of ground control stations. Shift work has a well-known association with fatigue, degraded work performance, and an increased risk for errors and accidents. This study presents the results of a follow-up survey of a particular population of shift-working RPA crewmembers 1 yr after modification of their shift work schedule.

Recurrent error pathways in HFACS data: analysis of 95 mishaps with remotely piloted aircraft.

Background: According to Reason's model of accident causation, mishaps tend to fall into recurrent patterns. This model is the foundation for the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), which is now widely used in aviation accident analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine if it was possible to use HFACS to identify recurrent error pathways within an existing mishap database.

Human systems integration in remotely piloted aircraft operations.

Background: The role of humans in remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) is qualitatively different from manned aviation, lessening the applicability of aerospace medicine human factors knowledge derived from traditional cockpits. Aerospace medicine practitioners should expect to be challenged in addressing RPA crewmember performance.

Methods: Human systems integration (HSI) provides a model for explaining human performance as a function of the domains of: human factors engineering; personnel; training; manpower; environment, safety, and occupational health (ESOH); habitability; and survivability.

Fatigue in military aviation shift workers: survey results for selected occupational groups.

Background: Shift workers are particularly vulnerable to increased sleepiness, chronic fatigue, and decreased performance, which can adversely impact productivity and safety in military flight operations. This study examined the association of specific risk factors including work context and shift system details (squadron: remotely piloted aircraft [RPAI vs. manned aircraft [MA]), work/rest guidelines (career field: crewmember vs.

Human factors in remotely piloted aircraft operations: HFACS analysis of 221 mishaps over 10 years.

Background: A primary tool for evaluating fielded systems is to review mishaps. This study is a 10-yr cross-sectional quantitative analysis of the distribution and determinants of operator error in remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) mishaps within the U.S.

Cases from the aerospace medicine residents' teaching file: furunculosis.

A case is presented of an aviator with frequent dermatologic lesions concerning for recurrent furunculosis that was caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and aeromedical disposition of recurrent furunculosis are discussed.

Visual scan patterns during simulated control of an uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV).

Background: This study investigated pilots' visual scan patterns on an uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) flight display that used moving textbox symbology to emulate vertical moving pointers for the primary flight instruments.

Methods: Eye tracking measurements were recorded for five instrument-rated pilots. Dwell frequencies and mean dwell times were calculated for each instrument.

Epidemiology of turbulence-related injuries in airline cabin crew, 1992-2001.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of flight attendant turbulence-related injuries in Part 121 air carrier operations from 1992-2001, and to identify the significant epidemiological determinants of turbulence-related injuries.

Methods: The National Transportation Safety Board's Aviation Accident Database was searched for the period from 1 January 1992 through 31 December 2001 for all records involving Part 121 air carrier turbulence-related accidents. Cases of turbulence-related flight attendant injuries were categorized by year and month of occurrence, aircraft type, air carrier, phase of flight, injury severity, type of injury, location in the aircraft where the injury occurred, status of the seat belt sign, and prevailing meteorological conditions.

Case from the aerospace medicine residents' teaching file. Chorioretinitis due to toxoplasmosis.

An aviator presented with visual changes which proved to be chorioretinitis due to toxoplasmosis. The evaluation, treatment, and aeromedical disposition of this pilot are discussed.