U.S. Coast Guard Academy injury and risk factor study

Purpose:Injury rates and injury risk factors were examined for the first time among cadets undergoing Summer Warfare Annual Basic (SWAB) training at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). Methods: Participants were 778 men and 286 women from four years of SWAB training. Before SWAB training, the subjects were administered a Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) (2-minute maximal effort sit-ups and 1.5 mile run) and functional movement screening (FMS) test. Height and weight were measured and, gender, age and ethnicity were obtained from administrative records. Training-related injuries were compiled from student medical records. The diagnosis, body part location, disposition, and limited duty days were recorded for each clinic visit. Results: During the 8 weeks of SWAB training, 23.8% of the women and 18.4% of the men were injured at least once. Compared to the men, the odds of an overall injury among women was 1.39 (95% confidence interval= 1.00-1.92). The odds of an overuse injury among women was 1.72 (95%confidence interval= 1.21-2.43) times higher than the men and the number of limited duty days for overuse injuries was also higher among the women (p