Military Rank And Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study of Military Dependents Cared for at MAMC

1. Background • BMI is routinely measured at all clinic encounters to screen for obesity. • Demographics of obesity in military dependents is unknown • USPSTF recommends referral of all adults with a BMI 30 or higher to intensive, multi-component, behavioral interventions Objective This study examines BMI data of military spouses based on the rank of their sponsor. Results • Female spouses of enlisted soldiers have statistically higher mean BMI in all age groups • No difference in mean BMI of male spouses however averages were near a BMI of 30 and more data needed • BMI generally increases with age in both enlisted and officer female spouse Conclusion BMI is consistently higher in female spouses of enlisted soldiers compared to similar aged officer spouses. Male spouse BMI data underpowered to show difference. This data can be used to target interventions to address obesity. Military Rank And Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study of Military Dependents Cared for at MAMC CPT James H Winegarner, MD. Madigan Army Medical Center Department of Family Medicine, Fort Lewis, WA • Discussion • Female enlisted spouses are, on average, 2.6-4.8 BMI points heavier than their age matched officer counterparts. • BMI difference unlikely due to access to health care or exercise facilities, and possibly food costs as military benefits partially control for these variables • Possible confounders: Size of families, normal BMI patients less likely to see physicians, number of deployments and low number of male visits • Main socioeconomic status difference between groups: income and education in household • Methods • Single retrospective query the Electronic Health Record (CHCS) • Data on random subjects of each military rank E1-E8 and O1-O6 collected Jan 2011-Jan2012. • Goal of at least 100 subjects at each rank • Data collected: rank of sponsor, age, gender, BMI • Analysis using IBM SBSS Version 18 (Chicago): • Independent T-Test, Two way ANOVA, Post Hoc Bonferroni The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author(s) and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Department of Defense.