Journal List > Korean J Adult Nurs > v.28(2) > 1076381

Park and Jang: Obesity Status and Predictors of Obesity for Military Executive Members of the Korean Army Personnel

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of obesity for military executive members of the Korean Army Personnel.

Methods

The sample consisted of 1,026 executive members from the military. The data were drawn from a self-report survey with questions about demographics, obesity-related knowledge, attitude and behavior from June 9, 2015 to July 21, 2015. The Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, x2-test and logistic regression.

Results

Of the total participants, sixty-five percent reported being non-obese and the remaining thirty-five percent would be classified as obese. The classification was defined by the BMI scores. Those participants with more than twenty years of service were 3.41 times more likely to be at risk for obesity compared to those participants with less than one year of service who had the lowest risk. Those participants with less than twenty more than ten years of service were 2.64times more likely to report obesity than those who had the lowest risk. Other factors related to the obesity was whether a person was in a front line unit (3.65 times higher), or rear unit (4.48 times higher) as compared to those in a special unit. For those who reported smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day had 2.64 times the risk of obesity than those who smoked less than a half pack a day. Above average score in sensitivity of obesity related attitude showed 5.92 times higher risk than below average.

Conclusion

This result suggested that over ten years of service, front line unit, rear unit, smoking more than one pack per day, and above average score in sensitivity of obesity related attitude influenced obesity. This study might provide base-line data for implementing tailored obesity management program to improve health status of the Korean army personnel.

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Table 1.
Obesity according to the General & Military-related Characteristics of the Korean Army Military Executive Members (N=1,026)
Characteristics Categories Total Non-obese (n=668) Obese (n=358) χ² p
n (%) or M±SD n (%) n (%)
General Age (year) 31.05±8.23 57.54 <.001
≤29 576 (56.1) 429 (64.2) 147 (41.1)
30~39 266 (25.9) 144 (21.6) 122 (34.1)
40~49 136 (13.3) 63 (9.4) 73 (20.4)
≥50 48 (4.7) 32 (4.8) 16 (4.5)
Gender Male 969 (94.4) 615 (92.1) 354 (98.9) 20.64 <.001
Female 57 (5.6) 53 (7.9) 4 (1.1)
Marital status Married 439 (42.8) 234 (35.0) 205 (57.3) 47.06 <.001
Single 587 (57.2) 434 (65.0) 153 (42.7)
Education High school graduate 203 (19.8) 125 (18.7) 78 (21.8) 3.65 .161
University graduate 684 (66.7) 459 (68.7) 225 (62.8)
Graduate school 139 (13.5) 84 (12.6) 55 (15.4)
Living with family Yes 425 (41.4) 244 (36.5) 181 (50.6) 18.91 <.001
No 601 (58.6) 424 (63.5) 177 (49.4)
Military-related Position Civilian military employee 30 (2.9) 23 (3.4) 7 (2.0) 15.23 .002
Non-commissioned officer 597 (58.2) 380 (56.9) 217 (60.6)
Company officer 297 (28.9) 212 (31.7) 85 (23.7)
Field officer 102 (9.9) 53 (7.9) 49 (13.7)
Unit type Standard division 593 (57.8) 367 (54.9) 226 (63.1) 39.98 <.000
Mobilization division 114 (11.1) 69 (10.3) 45 (12.6)
Headquarter 96 (9.4) 56 (8.4) 40 (11.2)
Education unit 109 (10.6) 72 (10.8) 37 (10.3)
Special force 114 (11.1) 104 (10.1) 10 (2.8)
Place of duty Forward service 465 (45.3) 290 (43.4) 175 (48.9) 25.30 <.001
Rear service 387 (37.7) 236 (35.3) 151 (42.2)
Special service 174 (17.0) 142 (21.3) 32 (8.9)
Period of service (year) 98.33±95.43 55.37 <.001
≤1 110 (10.7) 87 (13.0) 23 (6.4)
>13 months~<5 371 (36.2) 281 (42.1) 90 (25.1)
≥5~<10 252 (24.6) 148 (22.2) 104 (29.1)
≥10~<20 178 (17.3) 90 (13.5) 88 (24.6)
≥20 115 (11.2) 62 (9.3) 53 (14.8)
Table 2.
Obesity according to Life Style of the Korean Army Military Executive Members (N=1,026)
Characteristics Categories Total Non-obese (n=668) Obese (n=358) x2 p
n (%) n (%) n (%)
Meals per day ≤2 times 399 (38.9) 240 (35.9) 159 (44.4) 9.11 .011
3 times 553 (53.9) 383 (57.3) 170 (47.5)
≥4 times 74 (7.2) 45 (6.7) 29 (8.1)
Dining together eating out ≤3 times/months 584 (56.9) 385 (57.6) 199 (55.6) 3.99 .552
≥4 times/months 442 (43.1) 283 (42.4) 159 (44.4)
Excercise per week ≤2 times 422 (41.1) 253 (37.9) 169 (47.2) 20.39 <.001
3~4 times 335 (32.7) 210 (31.4) 125 (34.9)
≥5 times 269 (26.2) 205 (30.7) 64 (17.9)
Watching TV over 3 hours per day Yes 114 (11.1) 65 (9.7) 49 (13.7) 14.69 .001
So so 311 (30.3) 183 (27.4) 128 (35.8)
No 601 (58.6) 420 (62.9) 181 (50.6)
Sleeping hours per night <7 720 (70.2) 466 (69.8) 254 (70.9) 0.16 .691
≥7 300 (29.2) 202 (30.2) 104 (29.1)
Smoking No smoking 433 (42.2) 307 (46.0) 126 (35.2) 13.99 .001
Stop smoking 113 (11.0) 61 (9.1) 52 (14.5)
Smoking now 480 (46.8) 300 (44.9) 180 (50.3)
Smoking amount per day (n=480) <1/2 pack 124 (25.8) 81 (27.0) 43 (23.9) 16.49 <.001
≥1/2<1 pack 276 (57.5) 185 (61.7) 91 (50.5)
≥1 pack 80 (16.7) 34 (11.3) 46 (25.6)
Drinking alcohol Nondrinking 306 (29.8) 208 (31.1) 98 (27.4) 1.93 .382
2~3 times/months 376 (36.6) 244 (36.5) 132 (36.9)
≥1~2 times/weeks 344 (33.5) 216 (32.3) 128 (35.8)
Stress Little 89 (8.7) 56 (8.4) 33 (9.2) 13.64 .001
A little 495 (48.2) 350 (52.4) 145 (40.5)
Above normal 442 (43.1) 262 (39.2) 180 (50.3)
Table 3.
Obesity according to the Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior related to Obesity of the Korean Army Military Executive Members (N=1,026)
Characteristics Total score Non-obese (n=668) Obese (n=358) t p
M±SD M±SD M±SD
Obesity knowledge 22.29±3.80 22.38±3.72 22.13±3.93 0.99 .322
Attitude related to obesity 71.15±7.74 70.93±7.85 71.57±7.52 -1.25 .213
Sensitivity of obesity 7.48±2.96 6.62±2.82 9.08±2.54 -13.80 <.001
Seriousness of obesity 9.90±2.90 9.87±3.06 9.95±2.57 -0.42 .672
Benefit of diet and eating habits 11.96±2.62 11.90±2.71 12.06±2.45 -0.91 .363
Barrier of diet and eating habits 12.94±3.11 13.21±3.21 12.44±2.86 3.82 <.001
Benefit of exercise and activity 13.38±2.14 13.43±2.14 13.27±2.12 1.21 .228
Barrier of exercise and activity 15.50±3.26 15.89±3.26 14.76±3.15 5.33 <.001
Obesity control behavior 66.86±9.85 67.54±10.12 65.59±9.18 3.05 .002
Table 4.
Predictors of Obesity for the Korean Army Military Executive Members (N=1,026)
Predictors Categories B SE Wald OR (95%Cl) p
Period of service (year) ≤1       1.00 (reference)  
≥13 months~<5 0.40 0.46 0.76 0.67 (0.27~1.64) .384
≥5~<10 0.52 0.47 1.27 1.69 (0.68~4.21) .259
≥10~<20 0.97 0.48 4.04 2.64 (1.02~6.83) .044
≥20 1.23 0.54 5.17 3.41 (1.18~9.80) .023
Place of duty Forward service 1.30 0.41 10.11 3.65 (1.64~8.11) .001
Rear service 1.50 0.42 12.80 4.48 (1.97~10.20) <.001
Special service       1.00 (reference)  
Smoking amount per day (pack) <1/2       1.00 (reference) .650
≥1/2~<1 0.12 0.27 0.21 0.89 (0.53~1.49) .006
≥1 0.97 0.36 7.42 2.64 (1.31~5.32)  
Stress Little 0.70 0.42 2.74 2.02 (0.88~4.65) .098
A little 0.42 0.24 3.09 0.66 (0.41~1.05) .079
Above normal       1.00 (reference)  
Sensitivity of obesity Above average 1.78 0.24 56.85 5.92 (3.73~9.41) <.001
Below average       1.00 (reference)