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What is the dietary intake and nutritional status of defence members: a systematic literature review
A healthy diet and nutrition are essential for military performance, recuperation, and preparedness. While previous research has primarily focused on the nutritional content of field and combat rations and dietary intake during deployments, less attention has been given to the usual dietary intake and nutritional status of military personnel in garrison settings (i.e., military bases). Nevertheless, no thorough analysis of the general nutritional status of military communities worldwide has yet been carried out. The purpose of this research by Bayes et al. (2024) was to evaluate military personnel’s diets in relation to the Military Dietary Reference Intakes (MDRI) and national nutritional standards. Up to February 20, 2023, the Medline (EBSCO), CINAHL, Scopus (Elsevier), AMED, and PubMed databases were searched to conduct a comprehensive literature evaluation of original research. The inclusion criteria were satisfied by 36 studies, all of which had good overall quality and little chance of bias. The diet quality scores revealed that the overall diet quality among defense members was poor to fair. Military personnel exhibited low intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, plant-based proteins, and nuts. They consumed a lot of processed meats, trans fats, and added sweets. Fiber, vitamin A, essential fatty acids, folate, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, and iodine intakes were also below recommended levels. Reduced performance, an increased risk of chronic illnesses, and mental health problems can result from these nutritional inadequacies. The long-term impacts of low nutrition quality on military members require more investigation. The findings highlight the need for policymakers to focus on military nutrition education and improve the food environment to support healthier eating habits. [NPID: Defence force, diet, military, nutrition, nutritional status]
Year: 2024
