Investigation into the nutritional knowledge, attitude and practices among officers and soldiers living at high altitude and its influential factors / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the levels of nutritional knowledge, attitude and dietary habits and its influential factors of the officers and soldiers in frontier forces to provide the theory basis for nutrition education.Methods Using self-designed nutritional knowledge-altitude-practice (KAP) questionnaires to survey 90 officers and soldiers who lived in plateau for at least 6 months. Questionnaires were handed out and handed over on the spot. According toMilitary Nutrition Survey and Evaluation Methods (GJB 1636A-2016), we measured the physical index of officers and soldiers, including height, weight and skin thickness of triceps. And we also evaluated body mass index (BMI) and upper arm muscle circumference.Results Nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice conditions of plateau forces were at the average, better and average levels respectively. Nutritional knowledge was significantly positively related to the practices (r=0.283,P=0.003), and was also significantly positively related to the age of the soldiers (r=0.228,P=0.04). Nutritional attitude was positively related to source of officers and soldiers (r=0.339,P=0.035), and nutritional practices were positively related to the upper arm muscle circumference (r=0.222,P=0.030). 65.6% of the officers and soldiers would like to know the knowledge about relationship between diet and disease. 25.6% of the officers and soldiers in the plateau were alcohol users.Conclusions Although the nutrition knowledge of plateau forces were poor, and the nutritional practices were influenced by nutritional knowledge, but the soldiers' attitude of changing unhealthy dietary habits was very positive. It is necessary to undertake the dietary nutrition education related to the high altitude nutrition among plateau forces to guild their nutritional practice scientifically.