Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to determine whether the new sport concept of the Swiss Armed Forces influences the physical and psychological fitness of the recruits.

Detailed Description
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The physical and psychological demands in the Swiss Army basic military service are high. Injury incidences in Swiss Army training schools are higher than in armed forces of other countries.There is evidence that progressive loading of physical demands at the beginning of basic military service and specific physical training can reduce injury incidences and attrition rates. A new sport concept by the Swiss Army takes into account these results of previous studies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the influences of this new sport concept on the physical and psychological fitness as well as on the injury and attrition rates of the recruits.

Official Title
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Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training - An Intervention Study Investigating the Influence of the Swiss Armed Forces' New Sport Concept on Physical and Psychological Parameters of the Recruits

Conditions
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Wounds and Injuries, Physical Activity, Mood (Psychological Function), Motivation, Motor Activity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Recruits of the Swiss Army rescue training schools 75 2/2015 and 3/2015 Exclusion Criteria: None

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 25 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training<br>Sport according to the new sport concept (Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training) of the Swiss Armed Forces | Other: Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training<br>* 2 x 90 minutes strength training and sport games and 2 x 30 minutes endurance training per week during 18 weeks of basic military training<br>|
| No Intervention: Traditional Sport Concept<br>Sport according to the traditional sport concept of the Swiss Armed Forces | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of Participants With Injuries | All injuries which are registered in the patient's medical record are collected and classified. A classification system which takes into account anatomical site, circumstances of the accident, and severity of the injury is used. | During the basic military training (18 weeks) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Physical Fitness Measured With the Swiss Physical Fitness Test Battery (SPFTB) | Physical Fitness is measured with the Swiss physical fitness test battery (SPFTB). The SPFTB contains a progressive endurance run, a trunk muscle strength test, a standing long jump, a seated shot put, and a one-leg standing test. From the results of those performance tests (0 to 25 points each), a total fitness score is calculated (sum of all points). The minimum total score (worst result) is 0 points, the maximum total score (best result) is 125 points. A detailed description of the SPFTB can be found in the publication of Wyss, Marti, Rossi, Kohler and Mäder (2007). | Weeks 2, 10 and 16 of the basic military training | 
| Psychological Questionnaires | 2 questionaires concerning resilience were used: The Resilience Scale 11 (Schumacher, Leppert, Gunzelmann, Strauss & Brähler, 2005) and the Brief Resilience Scale (Smith, Dalen, Wiggings, Tooley, Christopher & Bernard, 2008). A mean was calculated for each time point. The total score ranges from 1 (worst result) to 7 (best result). | Weeks 2, 10 and 16 of the basic military training | 
| Military Performance According to Military Marks | Military marks are given by superior Army personnel. The total score ranges from 1 (insufficient) to 5 (excellent). In total, three marks are given during the whole basic military training (after 7, 11 and 16 weeks). Data from those three time points are combined in a single value (mean). | During the basic military training (18 weeks) | 
| Questionnaire About Health and Physical Activities |  | Week 1 of the basic military training and 3 months after finishing the basic military training | 
| Attrition Rate | Withdrawals from the military service are reported by the training school's secretariat | During the whole basic military training (18 weeks) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Army, Sport, Physical Fitness, Injuries, Psychological Tests, Attrition