Page 81 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Fall 2015

Table 1 Proportion of US Air Force PJs and CROs Figure 1 Mean daily caffeine intake (in milligrams per
Reporting Somatic Symptoms kilogram) and weekly alcohol consumption (in drinks)
among US Air Force PJs and CROs according to reported
Not Bothered Bothered
Bothered, a Little, a Lot, severity of back and extremity pain.
Symptom % % %
Stomach pain 78.2 13.7 1.7
Back pain 38.5 41.9 14.5
Pain in arms, legs, or 41.0 40.6 13.2
joints (knees, hips, etc.)
Difficulties with sexual 85.9 8.5 0.4
intercourse
Headaches 77.4 15.0 2.1
Chest pain 94.0 0.9 0.0
Dizziness 91.9 2.1 0.9
Fainting spells 94.0 0.4 0.0
consumption, 70% of participants in the current sample
Feeling your heart 88.0 6.4 0.4 reported consuming 12 or more alcoholic beverages per
pound or race
year, as compared to 60% of men in the United States
Shortness of breath 91.5 3.0 0.4 above the age of 18 years. Only 2% of PJs and CROs
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Constipation, loose 79.9 13.2 1.7 reported “heavy drinking,” defined as drinking 14 or
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bowels, or diarrhea more alcoholic beverages per week, which was lower
Nausea, gas, or 78.2 14.5 1.7 than reported rates of heavy drinking in the military as
12
indigestion a whole (5% to 11%). In terms of tobacco use, 28% of
Note: Statistically significant between-group differences, based on post PJs and CROs reported current tobacco use of any kind,
hoc t tests, are indicated by horizontal bars. Mean values by group are of which smokeless or chewing tobacco was the most
reported below the figure. frequently used tobacco product (22%) and cigarettes
were the least frequently used (4%). This differs con-
The likelihood of reporting alcohol was unrelated to siderably from patterns of tobacco use observed among
back pain severity (Fisher exact test = 0.380; p = .871), US men, of whom 3% use smokeless tobacco and 21%
but did vary according to extremity pain severity (Fisher smoke cigarettes, 13,14 as well as patterns observed in mil-
exact test = 4.91; p = .082). In particular, participants itary personnel, of whom 14% use smokeless tobacco
who reported being bothered a lot by extremity pain and 27% smoke cigarettes. We additionally found that
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were significantly more likely to report alcohol use 89% of our sample consumed caffeine regularly, which
(96.6%) than participants who reported no extremity is comparable to reported rates in the U.S. general popu-
pain (79.5%; z = 2.15; p = .032). There was also a sig- lation (85%) and military samples (82%). The aver-
17
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nificant difference in mean weekly alcohol consumption age daily caffeine intake among PJs and CROs (253mg)
by extremity pain severity group [Wald χ (2) = 6.87; was likewise comparable to the average daily caffeine
2
p = .032] but not back pain severity group [Wald χ (2) = intake by the US general population (305mg) and male
2
8
0.57; p = .753]. Participants who were bothered a lot by military personnel (303mg). 17
extremity pain reported drinking approximately twice
as many alcoholic beverages per week than participants The unique patterns of tobacco use among PJs and
were bothered a little or not bothered at all by extremity CROs relative to the military and general populations
pain (Figure 1), but weekly alcohol consumption was could be related to the unique characteristics of the ca-
comparable across all levels of back pain. reer field and/or those military personnel who seek out
and are ultimately selected to enter this elite profession.
There was no relationship between tobacco use and se- The pararescue career field is physically rigorous and
verity of back pain (Fisher exact test = 0.46; p = .807) or demanding, and requires personnel to meet and main-
extremity pain (Fisher exact test = 0.33; p = .886). tain high standards of physical conditioning and health,
similar to athletic professions. High rates of smokeless
tobacco use combined with relatively low rates of ciga-
Discussion
rette smoking have also been observed in athletes 18–21
Results of the current study suggest that rates of self-re- especially white athletes, 18,19 which may be related to
ported alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and caffeine general perceptions of cigarette smoking as a barrier to
intake among PJs and CROs are fairly comparable to es- meeting and maintaining physical standards because of
timated US general population rates. In terms of alcohol its deleterious effects on cardiac and respiratory health.

Legal Substance Abuse and Health Complaints 69