1. Blisters on the Battlefield: The Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Foot Friction Blisters During Operation Iraqi Freedom I
- Author
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Cody R. Jackson, Fred H. Brennan, Cara H. Olsen, and Cindy C. Wilson
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Friction ,Cross-sectional study ,Logistic regression ,Military medicine ,Young Adult ,Blister ,Protective Clothing ,Battlefield ,Risk Factors ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Internal medicine ,Prevalence ,medicine ,Humans ,Foot Injuries ,Iraq War, 2003-2011 ,Response rate (survey) ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Blisters ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,United States ,Confidence interval ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Logistic Models ,Military Personnel ,Iraq ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Foot (unit) - Abstract
Foot friction blisters in military personnel lessen a soldier's mobility, concentration, and critical decision-making skills.To determine the prevalence of and factors associated with friction blisters during deployment in all military personnel who nonurgently presented to the 28th Combat Support Hospital.A cross-sectional survey was performed at the 28th Combat Support Hospital. Statistical tests used included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression for nominal data.The response rate was 97% with 872 surveys completed. Blister prevalence was 33% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 30.0-36.4). Eleven percent of these sought treatment (p0.001). Factors increasing the risk of developing blisters include female sex (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.27-1.91), wearing boots not broken in (PR = 1.52, CI = 1.26-1.85), longer than 6 months in theater (PR = 1.33, CI = 1.09-1.63), and history of prior blisters (PR = 2.08, CI = 1.69-2.56).The prevalence of foot friction blisters was 33% during a 12-month block of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. Of these, 11% required medical care. The group most likely to develop blisters is women, ages 26 to 34, who are unable to break in their boots and have a past history of blisters.
- Published
- 2012
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