Body composition description in a cohort of active officers in the Colombian army

Abstract

Background: Body composition in the military population is essential in the characteri-zation of nutritional status, representing the accumulation of fat, bone, water, and total muscle in the body. Objective: Describe and analyze variables of the CP data collected from a sample of officers of the Colombian National Army. Methodology: Descriptive study among officers in order to determine body composition and bioimpedance with nutritional status as an indicator of health risks, using a height rod, a scale with a precision of 100 grams, a flexible anthropometric tape, a small diameter compass and skinfold compass. A statistically significant p value of <0.05 is considered. Results: The sample of officers collected is composed of a total of 96 subjects with a divi-sion of military ranks as follows: lieutenant (n= 28), captain (n=23), major (n=15), lieutenant colonel ( n=10), second lieutenant (n=4) and colonel (n=1). The difference in age and weight between the group of senior and junior officers was 11.33 years (p=0.089) and 1.42 kilograms (p=0.235), respectively. The expected value of flexibility is different between groups, being higher in the group of junior officers (p=0.016). Conclusion: The body composition variables did not present statistically significant differences between the superior and subordinate official groups. © 2023, Universidad del Norte. All rights reserved.