High Physical Exposure During Female Recruits' Basic Military Training in Sweden-A Descriptive Study.

Introduction: There is a knowledge gap concerning the occurrence of physical complaints/injuries, i.e., musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), among Swedish women who undergo basic military training (BMT).

A Prospective Cohort Study on Risk Factors for Cervico-Thoracic Pain in Military Aircrew.

Military aircrew frequently report cervico-thoracic pain and injury. The relationship between risk factors and future pain episodes is, however, uncertain. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for cervico-thoracic pain and to determine the 1-yr cumulative incidence of such pain.

Test-Retest Reliability and Translation of the Musculoskeletal Screening Protocol Questionnaire Used in the Swedish Armed Forces.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in military personnel are common, and it is important to identify those at risk so that appropriate preventive and rehabilitative strategies can be undertaken. The Musculoskeletal Screening Protocol (MSP) questionnaire is part of the implemented prevention strategy to reduce MSDs in the Swedish Armed Forces. The aims of this study were to evaluate the questionnaire's reliability and to translate it into English.

Cervico-thoracic pain and associated impairments in air force personnel: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Pain and impaired function in the cervical region are common in Air Force personnel (AFP), but evidence is limited regarding the thoracic region. This cross-sectional cohort study examined associations between cervico-thoracic pain and physical performance among Swedish AFP and explored possible differences and similarities in test performance between fighter pilots (FP), helicopter pilots (HP) and rear crew (RC).

Methods: AFP (n = 73) from one airbase performed eight tests of movement control of the spine, active cervical range of motion (ROM) in all six directions and isometric strength and endurance of the cervical flexors and extensors.

Correction to: Musculoskeletal disorders and their associations with health- and work-related factors: a cross-sectional comparison between Swedish air force personnel and army soldiers.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Musculoskeletal disorders and their associations with health- and work-related factors: a cross-sectional comparison between Swedish air force personnel and army soldiers.

Background: The high numbers of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among soldiers in the Swedish Armed Forces has led to the implementation of an effective prevention program, the musculoskeletal screening protocol (MSP), including questionnaires, physical tests and individual intervention of their MSD. A corresponding MSP for the Swedish Air Force is also needed due to earlier reported high prevalence of MSD. We therefore investigated the prevalence of MSD in Swedish Air Force personnel (AF) and compared this to Swedish Army deployed soldiers (DS).

Remarkable increase of musculoskeletal disorders among soldiers preparing for international missions - comparison between 2002 and 2012.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are common among soldiers and constitute the most common reason for discontinuing military service within different military populations worldwide. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in two cohorts, 10 years apart, in the Swedish Armed Forces, to explore differences between these cohorts and to determine associated factors with MSD.

Method: Comparative cross-sectional study.

Reliability and agreement of the IsoKai isokinetic lift test - A test used for admission to the Swedish Armed Forces.

This study was performed to evaluate the reliability and agreement of the IsoKai isokinetic lift test as it is currently administered in admission to the Swedish Armed Forces. The study included an intrarater (n = 534) and interrater reliability sample (n = 137), of Swedish male conscripts who performed the test on two test occasions about two hours apart. Two-to-four lifts were performed at each occasion, and the highest mean (IsoKaiMF) and peak force (IsoKaiPF) produced (N) were used for evaluation.

Concurrent validity of an isokinetic lift test used for admission to the Swedish Armed Forces.

The aim of this study was to assess the concurrent validity of the IsoKai isokinetic lift test peak force (IsoKaiPeak) in comparison to a submaximal 5-10RM deadlift test (5-10RMDL), and to develop an equation for converting the IsoKaiPeak in Newton (N) to an estimated 1RM (1RMest) deadlift load in kilograms (kg). The participants included 28 males and 16 female employees in the Swedish Armed Forces (20-59 years). Each participant conducted the IsoKai lift test, followed by the 5-10RMDL test at one occasion.

Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of movement control tests for the neck, shoulder, thoracic, lumbar, and hip regions in military personnel.

Strategies are needed to mitigate the high rates and related risks of musculoskeletal complaints and injuries (MSCI) in the military aviator community. Previous work on Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF) soldiers have shown that proper screening methods have been successful in reducing early discharge from military training. Research has pointed at the importance of optimal spinal movement control in military aviators.

Self-reported musculoskeletal complaints and injuries and exposure of physical workload in Swedish soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

Background: Musculoskeletal complaints and injuries (MSCI) are common in military populations. However, only a limited number of studies have followed soldiers during international deployments and investigated the prevalence of MSCI during and at the end of their deployment. The aim was to describe the prevalence of MSCI in different military occupational specialties and categorise their most common tasks in terms of exposures to physical workloads during a six-month long international deployment in Afghanistan.

Content Validity Index and Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of a New Muscle Strength/Endurance Test Battery for Swedish Soldiers.

The objective of this study was to examine the content validity of commonly used muscle performance tests in military personnel and to investigate the reliability of a proposed test battery. For the content validity investigation, thirty selected tests were those described in the literature and/or commonly used in the Nordic and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. Nine selected experts rated, on a four-point Likert scale, the relevance of these tests in relation to five different work tasks: lifting, carrying equipment on the body or in the hands, climbing, and digging.

Influence of the implementation of a comprehensive intervention programme on premature discharge outcomes from military training.

Objective: The study describes and analyses the influence of a comprehensive intervention on premature discharges (i.e. the military training cannot be completed).