Publication year
2003
Citation Title
Are children of military parents more physically fit than children of civilian parents?
Journal Name
Family Medicine
Journal Volume
35
Issue Number
6
Page Numbers
404-407
Summary
A group of 170 third-grade students participated in this study to determine whether children of military parents are healthier and more active than children of civilian parents. Compared to civilians, children of Service members performed poorer on fitness tests and watched more hours of television.
Key Findings
Youth in military families performed significantly worse in the sit-and-reach and the one-mile run compared to their civilian peers.
Military-affiliated youth watched significantly more television than their civilian peers.
Children of enlisted Service members had significantly lower scores on fitness tests and watched significantly more television than children of officers.
Among all youth, more television viewing was associated with poorer fitness.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer classes for Service members and their partners to increase skills around structuring children's out-of-school time
Provide opportunities for military youth to participate in sports, dance, and other after-school fitness activities
Create programs for Service members and their children to engage in physical activities together
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend training for professionals who work with military families regarding strategies to increase the physical fitness of military youth
Continue to support the development of healthy lifestyle programs and activities for military children
Encourage investigation of possible explanations for the increased use of media and decreased fitness of military-affiliated youth
Methods
A letter was sent to third grade students. Of 246 eligible third grade students, 170 completed both a survey and a physical fitness test (70% response rate).
All participants completed the National Child and Youth Fitness Survey to measure attitudes towards fitness and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness Test to measure physical fitness.
Data were analyzed to determine whether youth in miltiary families differed from youth in civilian families.
Participants
The sample included 170 students from two schools.
Students included 51% girls and 51% children of Service members.
All participants were in the third grade.
Limitations
The sample only consisted of third-grade students, so results may not extend to other age groups.
Parents' service branches were not included, so it is unclear to which branches these findings may extend.
Only hours of television consumed was considered for media consumption; use of other types of media may account for some of the differences found in this study.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine these variables in children with a greater variety of ages
Use pedometers or other technology to track actual day-to-day activity levels
Collect longitudinal data to examine the trajectory of physical fitness over time for military and civilian youth
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Background and Objectives: It is not knownwhether parental activity levels influence children’s physical fitness. Members of the military are required to maintain standards of physical fitness, whereas the civilian population is not. We conducted this study to compare fitness levels of children in military and civilian families. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of third-grade students from two public schools in San Diego County, Calif. Attendees of one school included children of enlisted service personnel. Attendees of the other school included officers’ children. Civilian students attended both schools. Students’ physical fitness was tested with several standard instruments, including time on a 1-mile run. Independent variables included whether students had civilian or military parents, television viewing habits, and parental military status (enlisted personnel versus officer) as a surrogate marker for socioeconomic status. Results: A total of 170 of 246 (70%) eligible students completed the study. Children of military parents had lower scores on the mile run and lower scores on other measures of fitness than did children of civilian parents. Socioeconomic status (ie, child of officer versus enlisted personnel) was the strongest predictor of poor fitness, with children of enlisted service members scoring lower on all measures of physical fitness than officers’ children. More television viewing was associated with lower levels of fitness. Conclusions: Children of military parents did not have a higher fitness level than children of civilian parents. Lower socioeconomic status and more television viewing are associated with lower levels of fitness.
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