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Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study

Recruiting
Conditions
Hypertension
Dyslipidemias
Type 2 Diabetes
Cardiovascular Diseases
Registration Number
NCT06380322
Lead Sponsor
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Brief Summary

The Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study (MHANES) is a Department of Defense funded study conducted by Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. This cross-sectional study will assess, in a large, diverse sample of Army Service Members (n=600), food and supplement intake, cardiovascular health, body composition, biomarkers of nutritional status, measures of health status, injury prevalence, mental wellbeing, gut microbiome composition, and physical performance outcomes. The proposed study is modeled after the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and customized for the Army population.

Detailed Description

Background: Comprehensive scientific data on dietary intake, nutritional status, cardiometabolic health, and performance of a representative sample of active-duty Soldiers are not available. Collecting such data will allow for assessment of disease prevalence and health status, provide novel descriptive information, and examine relationships between health and nutrition variables that are currently unavailable on the Army active-duty population.

Study Aim: To assess, in a large, diverse sample of Army Service Members, dietary intake, nutritional status, cardiovascular health, body composition, metabolic biomarkers of nutritional state, and other measures of health status.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
600
Inclusion Criteria
  • U.S. Army Soldiers ≥ 18 years old
  • Willing to have biological samples stored for future use
  • Willing to have data linked to the Soldier Performance, Health, and Readiness (SPHERE) database
Exclusion Criteria
  • Soldiers under the age of 18 years
  • Soldiers with an inability to understand verbal or written instructions or testing materials in English
  • Soldiers relocating or getting out of the Army in the next 30 days
  • Pregnant females
  • Soldiers currently in Basic Training (BCT) and/or One-Station Unit Training (OSUT)

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Dietary intakeThis study will collect one ASA24® recall at visit 1 and a second follow-up 24-hour recall 3-10 days later

24-hour dietary recalls will be collected using ASA24® to measure intake of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

Dietary qualityThis study will collect one ASA24® recall at visit 1 and a second follow-up 24-hour recall 3-10 days later

24-hour dietary recalls will be collected using ASA24®. Diet quality will be assessed by the healthy eating index (HEI).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
MoodQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Mood state will be assessed by the Profile of Mood States 2 (POMS2) questionnaire.

Sleep duration and qualityQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Sleep duration and quality will be assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Eating behavior (Fast Eating Rate)Questionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Assessed using the Fast Eating Rate scale derived from the validated Military Eating Behavior Survey (MEBS)

Resting metabolic rate (RMR)Measured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Measured by indirect calorimetry (MedGem or BodyGem indirect calorimeter).

Posttraumatic stress disorderQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be assessed by the the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5).

Measures of anemia and iron status, nutrient status, hormone status, stress, cardiometabolic health, and inflammationMeasured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Measured in blood

GenomicsMeasured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Array-based genotyping using blood samples

DepressionQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Depression will be assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

AnxietyQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Anxiety will be assessed by the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire.

Heart rate variability (HRV)Measured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Heart rate variations will be continuously recorded for 10 minutes with the Zephyr Bioharness™ (Zephyr Technology Corporation, Annapolis, MD, US).

ResilienceQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Resilience will be assessed by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).

Physical injuriesQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

A questionnaire on orthopedic injuries will be administered.

Eating behavior (Satiety)Questionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Assessed using the Satiety scale derived from the validated Military Eating Behavior Survey (MEBS)

Self-efficacyQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Self-efficacy will be assessed by the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE).

Physical activityQuestionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Physical activity will be assessed by the Physical Activity and Physical Fitness Questionnaire from NHANES.

Physical performanceData will be collected one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Participants will self-report their most recent Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) results.

Eating behavior (Slow Eating Rate)Questionnaires will be administered one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Assessed using the Slow Eating Rate scale derived from the validated Military Eating Behavior Survey (MEBS)

Blood pressureMeasured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Measured after an overnight (at least 10 hour) fast, blood pressure will be measured with an automated cuff.

Anthropometric and body composition measuresMeasured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Height measured using a stadiometer. Body mass and composition (fat mass, percent fat, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, and body water) using bioelectrical impedance analysis, body image scanning, and neck, waist, and hip circumference measurements. If available, at 1-2 Army bases, dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) will be used.

Gut microbiome compositionMeasured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Measured in stool

Albumin, iodine, and other biomarkers of healthMeasured one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment).

Measured in urine

Prescription and over-the-counter medication and supplement useThe information on current use of medications and dietary supplements will be obtained one time at visit 1 (within 1-2 weeks of study enrollment). ASA24® data will be collected at visit 1 and again 3-10 days later

Volunteers will be asked the name of each supplement and medication used in the past 30 days and the dose, unit, frequency, route, indication, and start/stop date. An opaque bag will be provided to volunteers to transport supplements to the in-person visit. Dietary supplement use will also be assessed by ASA24® in conjunction with the 24-hour dietary recall.

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

Fort Campbell

🇺🇸

Fort Campbell North, Kentucky, United States

Fort Johnson

🇺🇸

Leesville, Louisiana, United States

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

🇺🇸

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States

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