Page 87 - JSOM Fall 2023

An Ongoing Series

Social Fitness and the Social Domain

A Holistic Approach Based on Total Force Fitness

Rory G. McCarthy, PhD *; Gloria H. Park, PhD ; Nicole Barczak-Scarboro, PhD ;
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Stephanie Barrientos, MS ; Rachel Chamberlin, PhD, MPH ;
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Alaina Hansom, PhD ; Lauren Messina, PhD 7
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ABSTRACT
The Total Force Fitness (TFF) framework was envisioned as a aspirational model for understanding the holistic factors that
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holistic framework of interrelated domains, whereby impact contribute to the fitness of Servicemembers. The eight domains
in one domain could have cascading implications for the oth- of TFF—social, spiritual, physical, psychological, medical/
ers. For this reason, definitional clarity surrounding how to dental, nutritional, financial, and environmental—represent an
achieve fitness in the various domains is crucial. Social fitness interconnected and integrated roadmap for achieving Human
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definitions tend to focus on individual efforts and overlook the Performance Optimization (HPO) (Figure 1). Research, edu-
powerful impact of the social group and the social environment cation, and policy efforts to support TFF/HPO across the DoD
on the individual. In this article, various definitions of social have made many strides over the past few decades, particularly
fitness are analyzed in an effort to broaden the current under- in the physical and medical domains. Currently, the emphasis
standing of the social domain. Some of the knowledge gaps is on physical fitness, injury prevention, and improving access
in understanding social fitness and the resulting challenges to quality medical care.
are addressed before reviewing a few existing social fitness
interventions. Finally, this study offers recommendations for While steady progress has been made in some TFF domains,
improvement, along with future directions for the increased the social domain remains the least defined, partly due to the
integration of the social domain into the TFF framework. variety and diversity of definitions that exist in the literature.
Further, the fact that many of these definitions include social
Keywords: social environment; social fitness; social domain; fitness as an individual attribute without acknowledging the
total force fitness; performance optimization many complex relationships between social fitness and the to-
tal social environment. Social interactions and social relation-
ships do not emanate from people but instead exist between
Introduction people and have yet to be accounted for in definitions and
in resultant programming. Finally, the absence of clear own-
The Department of Defense (DoD) continues to support the ership over the domain within the military system is a con-
health, performance, and readiness of the operational forces. tributing factor to the lack of clarity in defining social fitness.
The Total Force Fitness (TFF) framework has become an As a result of these factors, social fitness is less understood
*Correspondence to rory.mccarthy.ctr@usuhs.edu
1 Dr Rory G. McCarthy is a qualitative researcher and cultural anthropologist affiliated with the Consortium for Health and Military Perfor-
mance in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University,
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Bethesda, MD and with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD. Dr Gloria H. Park is
the director of performance psychology affiliated with the Consortium for Health and Military Performance in the Department of Military and
Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD and with the Henry M. Jackson
Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD. Dr Nicole Barczak-Scarboro is a research scientist and psychophys-
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iologist affiliated with the Consortium for Health and Military Performance in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward
Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD and with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement
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of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD. Stephanie Barrientos is a clinical research coordinator affiliated with the Consortium for Health and
Military Performance in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services
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University, Bethesda, MD and with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD. Dr Rachel
Chamberlin is a senior anthropologist affiliated with the Consortium for Health and Military Performance in the Department of Military and
Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD and with the Henry M. Jackson
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Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD. Dr Alaina Hansom is a social fitness scientist affiliated with the
Consortium for Health and Military Performance in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine
at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD and with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine,
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Inc., Bethesda, MD and Dr Lauren Messina is the Director of Human Performance Optimization education at the Consortium for Health and
Military Performance in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services
University, Bethesda, MD and with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD.
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