Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(4):207-212 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3862

Health-related Quality of Life in Soldiers in Croatia: Relationship with Combat Readiness and Psychological Dimensions

Davorka Perić1, Darije Plančak2, Martina Bulj1, Vedrana Tudor3, Stjepan Špalj4
1 Department of Military Medicine, Croatian Army, Zagreb, Croatia
2 School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
3 Jadran Galenski Laboratory, Rijeka, Croatia
4 School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia

Health status of soldiers affects their quality of life and combat readiness. The aim of the research was to explore the differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between combat ready und unready soldiers and to what extent are clinically assessed combat readiness and psychological dimensions related to self-reported HRQoL. The study included 402 consecutively selected soldiers aged 21 to 54 (mean age 35.3±6.0) who were classified on the basis of a regular health examination as combat ready (N=327) and unready (N=75). HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form-8 Questionnaire and psychological dimensions using the Brief Symptom Inventory. There were no significant differences in physical and mental components of HRQoL between combat ready and unready soldiers. Clinically assessed combat readiness and psychological symptomatic dimensions were weak predictors of HRQoL. Higher intensity of psychoticism and less years in military service were the only significant predictor of higher physical component of HRQoL (p=0.027 and p=0.020, respectively) but accounted for low variability (each 1%). None variable was a predictor of mental component. In conclusion, clinically assessed combat readiness of soldiers and psychological symptomatic dimensions are poor predictors of HRQoL. HRQoL should be introduced in evaluation of combat readiness.

Keywords: quality of life, general health, military, combat readiness, psychological dimensions

Received: December 25, 2012; Revised: September 19, 2013; Accepted: September 19, 2013; Published: December 1, 2013  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Perić D, Plančak D, Bulj M, Tudor V, Špalj S. Health-related Quality of Life in Soldiers in Croatia: Relationship with Combat Readiness and Psychological Dimensions. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2013;21(4):207-212. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a3862. PubMed PMID: 24592726.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Dedić G. The soldier's quality of life during the years of military service. Vojnosanit Pregl. 2003 May-Jun;60(3):305-14. (In Serbian.) Go to original source...
    2. Brown M, Gordon WA. Quality of life as a construct in health and disability research. Mt Sinai J Med. 1999 May;66(3):160-9.
    3. Rapley M. Quality of life research: a critical introduction. London: Sage; 2003. Go to original source...
    4. Raphael D, Renwick R, Brown I, Rootman I. Quality of life indicators and health: current status and emerging conceptions. Soc Indic Res. 1996;39(1):65-88. Go to original source...
    5. Voelker MD, Saag KG, Schwartz DA, Chrischilles E, Clarke WR, Woolson RF, et al. Health-related quality of life in Gulf War era military personnel. Am J Epidemiol. 2002 May 15;155(10):899-907. Go to original source...
    6. Richardson JD, Long ME, Pedlar D, Elhai JD. Posttraumatic stress disorder and health-related quality of life among a sample of treatment- and pension-seeking deployed Canadian Forces peacekeeping veterans. Can J Psychiatry. 2008 Sep;53(9):594-600. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Proctor SP, Harley R, Wolfe J, Heeren T, White RF. Health-related quality of life in Persian Gulf War Veterans. Mil Med. 2001 Jun;166(6):510-9. Go to original source...
    8. Barrett DH, Boehmer TK, Boothe VL, Flanders WD, Barrett DH. Healthrelated quality of life of U.S. military personnel: a population-based study. Mil Med. 2003 Nov;168(11):941-7. Go to original source...
    9. Gažević N, editor. Military encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Beograd: Redakcija Vojne enciklopedije; 1975. (In Serbian.)
    10. Figelj D, editor. Military psychology. Vol. 2. Zagreb: Ministry of Defence of Republic of Croatia; 2003. (In Croatian.)
    11. Kožulj Nj, Rogalo G, Čurčić D. Manual for physical exercise. Zagreb: Ministry of Defence of Republic of Croatia; 2009. (In Croatian.)
    12. Panichkul S, Hatthachote P, Napradit P, KhunphaseeA, Nathalang O. Systematic review of physical fitness testing to evaluate the physical combat readiness of RoyalThaiArmed Forces. Mil Med. 2007 Dec;172(12):12348. Go to original source...
    13. Pavlina Ž, Komar Z, Knezović Z, Filjak T. Military psychology. Vol. 1. Zagreb: Ministry of Defence of Republic of Croatia; 2000. (In Croatian.)
    14. Ware JE, Kosinski M, Dewey JE, Gandek B. How to score and interpret single-item health status measures: a manual for users of the SF-8 Health Survey. Lincoln: Quality Metric; 2001.
    15. Derogatis LR. Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - administration, scoring and procedures manual. Minneapolis: NCS Pearson; 1993.
    16. Štibrić M. Psychometric validation of Derogatis Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) [dissertation]. Zagreb: University of Zagreb; 2005. (In Croatian.)
    17. Rules on determining health and physical fitness for military service. Narodne novine. 2008;(97). (In Croatian.)
    18. Haddock CK, Poston WS, Pyle SA, Klesges RC, Vander Weg MW, Peterson A, et al. The validity of self-rated health as a measure of health status among young military personnel: evidence from a cross-sectional survey. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2006 Aug 29;4:57. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. Selič P, Petek D, Serec M, Rus Makovec M. Sick leave and its determinants in professional soldiers of the SlovenianArmed Forces. Croat Med J. 2010 Dec;51(6):543-51. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Engel GL.The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science. 1977 Apr 8;196(4286):129-36. Go to original source...
    21. Stewart AL, Greenfield S, Hays RD, Wells K, Rogers WH, Berry SD, et al. Functional status and well-being of patients with chronic conditions. Results from the Medical Outcomes Study. JAMA. 1989 Aug 18;262(7):907-13. Erratum in: JAMA 1989 Nov 10;262(18):2542. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. McGee DL, Liao Y, Cao G, Cooper RS. Self-reported health status and mortality in a multiethnic US cohort. Am J Epidemiol. 1999 Jan 1;149(1):41-6. Go to original source...
    23. Wachtel T, Piette J, Mor V, Stein M, Fleishman J, Carpenter C. Quality of life in persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection: measurement by the Medical Outcomes Study instrument.Ann Intern Med. 1992 Jan 15;116(2):129-37. Go to original source...
    24. Eysenck HJ, Eysenck SBG. Psychoticism as a dimension of personality. London: Hodder and Stoughton; 1976.
    25. Lohr JM, Lilienfeld SO, Rosen GM.Anxiety and its treatment: promoting science-based practice. J Anxiety Disord. 2012 Oct;26(7):719-27. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Schnurr PP, Lunney CA, Bovin MJ, Marx BP. Posttraumatic stress disorder and quality of life: extension of findings to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Clin Psychol Rev. 2009 Dec;29(8):727-35. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    27. Unwin C, Blatchley N, Coker W, Ferry S, Hotopf M, Hull L, et al. Health of UK servicemen who served in Persian Gulf War. Lancet. 1999 Jan 16;353(9148):169-78. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. Fukuda K, Nisenbaum R, Stewart G, Thompson WW, Robin L, Washko RM, et al. Chronic multisymptom illness affecting Air Force veterans of the Gulf War. JAMA. 1998 Sep 16;280(11):981-8. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    29. The Iowa Persian Gulf Study Group. Self-reported illness and health status among Gulf War veterans.Apopulation-based study. JAMA. 1997 Jan 15;277(3):238-45. Go to original source...

    Return to the content