Photo By Jean Graves | FORT JOHNSON, La. — The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson was the...... read more read more
FORT JOHNSON, La. — The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson was the first of multiple installations selected to participate in the Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study Aug. 21 through 24 in the warrior mission training center.
Modeled after the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, MHANES is designed to evaluate the dietary intake, nutritional status, cardiovascular health, body composition, metabolic biomarkers, and other measures of Soldiers’ health to guide evidence-based screening education and intervention strategies and improve the health of the force.
Capt. Ariel Williams, a registered dietitian, is chief of the nutrition care division at Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital, helped with coordination between the research team and installation leadership.
Williams said, the team from the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine and Pennington Biomedical Research Center of Louisiana State University reached out to her in March about the project.
“I worked with the researchers and my chain of command to get approval from the senior mission commander,” she said. “Once approved, I coordinated with a variety of installation entities to ensure they had all the supplies necessary, a suitable location, and to help get the word out to potential volunteers.”
Williams said she was happy to support such a significant research endeavor.
“This study has the potential to influence military culture by guiding service members toward improved screening, education, and intervention strategies that will enhance the health of the force,” she said.
Dr. Claire Berryman, principal investigator and assistant professor, along with Dr. Retired Lt. Col. Asma Bukhari, project manager and military liaison for Pennington Biomedical Research Center of LSU, spent the week at Fort Johnson recruiting participants, setting up testing stations, and executing the research with their first sample from Fort Johnson.
Bukhari said the national study does not include active-duty military personnel, so this study will capture that population.
“Through this effort we aim to collect similar comprehensive data related to nutrition and health biomarkers for active-duty servicemen and women,” she said. “This data will allow policy makers to take a proactive approach to developing screenings, identifying risk factors and customizing education and intervention strategies to improve the health of the force.”
Bukhari said it worked out well that Fort Johnson was the first data collection site, due the geographical proximity to Baton Rouge where she and her team are located.
Berryman said they hope to sample 150 from Fort Johnson and 600 total from various Army locations across the country over the course of the two-year study.
“This is our pilot, our first run at it. We want to make sure we work out all the kinks before we bring in 50 people each day,” she said. “So, for this initial visit we're trying for 30 per day, and we plan to get 100 more participants when we return in September.”
Berryman said the study consists of 14 stations to include stool, urine, and blood samples, height, weight, and body composition, blood pressure, variable and resting metabolic heart rate, medication and supplement review along with a comprehensive questionnaire.
“All participants will complete a survey with a variety of demographic, nutrition, and health related questions. Some participants were given a wearable device during their orientation that will allow us to measure their physical activity and sleep for five days,” she said.
Marketing and monetary incentives motivated Fort Johnson Soldiers to participate.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lindsay Moniz, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation regiment said the cash incentive motivated her to participate.
Study participants can earn money for participation during their off-duty time. The compensation is prorated with specified amounts paid for the completion of the first visit, bringing in photos of dietary supplements taken, self-collection of stool sample, and completing remote dietary intake via an automated online tool.
“Once I learned what the study was about, I was happy to participate and know my contribution can help the research team discover ways to improve the health of future Soldiers,” Moniz said.
Spc. Marc Flowers, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, said he learned about the study from his wife who works at BJACH.
“We thought it was a good way to help the Army and earn a little bit of money at the same time,” he said. “I hope this helps the Army develop better ways to educate Soldiers about health and nutrition while in training and while assigned to regular units.”
Flowers said it’s important to understand how nutrition affects performance.
“Understanding how everything we consume effects our body and our overall health is huge,” he said.
Spc. Isabell Franco, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division said she agreed to participate in the study to learn more about her own body and biomedical markers.
“I hope this study helps the Army improve physical and mental health care for Soldiers,” she said. “From a personal perspective, I believe a holistic approach and learning more about how nutrition affects our overall health is an important research topic.”
Franco said learning ways to develop better health through nutrition can improve the quality and longevity those who serve.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2024 19:18 |
| Story ID: | 479586 |
| Location: | FORT JOHNSON, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 213 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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