Terry L. Conway

This study examined leisure-time sports injuries and lost duty time among U.S. Marines deployed in Iraq. All sports and recreational injuries in Iraq during 2004 2006 were identified from the Combat Trauma Database, in which all in-theater medical treatment was recorded. The study population consisted of 555 Marines who sought treatment for a sports injury during this period. The majority of cases were men aged 21 25 years with a high school education and mid-range enlisted rank. Demographic and military descriptors were related to the type of sports activity engaged in when injured, but had little association with injury characteristics. Type of sports activity, however, was associated with anatomical site of injury, injury mechanism, type of injury, and injury severity. Over 60% of sports injuries occurred during weightlifting, aerobics, and basketball. Some loss of duty time occurred in 46.5% of all sports injuries. Multivariate analyses indicated that rank, occupational specialty, sport played when injured, anatomical location of injury, and injury severity were significant independent predictors of lost duty time. These findings describing leisure-time sports injuries among deployed Marines may help identify at-risk subgroups, and suggest preventive interventions to reduce sports-related injuries and lost duty time in combat theaters.

The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and its abbreviated form (NEWS-A) assess perceived environmental attributes believed to influence physical activity. A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) conducted on a sample from Seattle, WA showed that, at the respondent level, the factor-analyzable items of the NEWS and NEWS-A measured 11 and 10 constructs of perceived neighborhood environment, respectively. At the census blockgroup (used by the US Census Bureau as a subunit of census tracts) level, the MCFA yielded five factors for both NEWS and NEWS-A. The aim of this study was to cross-validate the individual- and blockgroup-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A in a geographical location and population different from those used in the original validation study. A sample of 912 adults was recruited from 16 selected neighborhoods (116 census blockgroups) in the Baltimore, MD region. Neighborhoods were stratified according to their socio-economic status and transport-related walkability level measured using Geographic Information Systems. Participants self-completed the NEWS. MCFA was used to cross-validate the individual- and blockgroup-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A. The data provided sufficient support for the factorial validity of the original individual-level measurement models, which consisted of 11 (NEWS) and 10 (NEWS-A) correlated factors. The original blockgroup-level measurement model of the NEWS and NEWS-A showed poor fit to the data and required substantial modifications. These included the combining of aspects of building aesthetics with safety from crime into one factor; the separation of natural aesthetics and building aesthetics into two factors; and for the NEWS-A, the separation of presence of sidewalks/walking routes from other infrastructure for walking. This study provided support for the generalizability of the individual-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A to different urban geographical locations in the USA. It is recommended that the NEWS and NEWS-A be scored according to their individual-level measurement models, which are relatively stable and correspond to constructs commonly used in the urban planning and transportation fields. However, prior to using these instruments in international and multi-cultural studies, further validation work across diverse non-English speaking countries and populations is needed.