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Objective: Fitness trackers are appealing in public health intervention programmes aimed at promoting physical activity, but it is unclear whether tracker use leads to health behaviour change in soldiers. This programme evaluation investigated the effects of fitness tracker usage on goal-setting, self-monitoring and physical activity behaviours in soldiers participating in a 6-month pilot health promotion programme focused on improving sleep, activity and nutrition behaviours. Design: Participants in this programme (n = 4,418) were assigned to a health education, an education plus fitness tracker or a comparison (i.e. no intervention) condition. Data were collected at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Setting: Soldiers in five brigades participated in one of the three conditions, with health education integrated into daily operations. Method: Participants in the health education and education plus fitness tracker conditions were exposed to materials distributed via health educators and through leader interaction. Participants in the education plus fitness tracker condition were also assigned a fitness tracker for use. Results: Self-monitoring increased in all conditions over time; however, there was a significant interaction of group by time, such that individuals in the fitness tracker condition reported significantly greater increases in self-monitoring over time, compared with the other groups. Conversely, self-reported physical activity decreased in all conditions over time, with no significant interaction, indicating no effect of group membership. Conclusion: Although fitness trackers are popular in the health and fitness industry, they may have limited utility as a public health intervention aimed at increasing physical activity in soldiers participating in this programme.

Low retention in the child care workforce is a persistent challenge that has been associated with negative outcomes for children, staff, and centers. This article reviews the empirical literature, identifying common correlates or predictors of retention for child care workers. Searches were conducted using several databases, and articles that presented quantitative or qualitative data on retention for center-based child care workers in the United States were reviewed in detail. Seven themes emerged as potential predictors of retention: wages and benefits, job satisfaction, organizational characteristics, alternative employment opportunities, demographic characteristics, job characteristics, and education and training. Although some of the findings were mixed, increased retention was generally associated with the following: working in a publicly operated or nonprofit center that meets accreditation or policy standards, being older, maintaining a higher-level position, having more tenure and experience, receiving higher wages, and reporting higher job satisfaction. Based on these studies, child care centers should seek to increase pay, recruit staff with more experience, and aim to improve job satisfaction among staff to help increase retention. In addition, government-funded professional development incentive programs may help child care centers meet the goals of a high-quality, educated, and stable workforce.

Sleep, activity, and nutrition (SAN) are key components in overall health, and an individual's knowledge about and self-confidence to engage in healthy SAN behaviors can have an impact on their actions. This evaluation examined SAN knowledge, self-confidence, and behaviors among U.S. Army Soldiers prior to participating in a health promotion program. Baseline surveys from participating Soldiers provide evidence in this evaluation. U.S. Army Soldiers (N = 11,485) participating in a health promotion program completed surveys. Participants completed an online survey assessing SAN knowledge, self-confidence, and behaviors (among other constructs). We examined the common patterns of SAN behaviors, the associations between them, and the differences based on gender and rank. Knowledge, self-confidence, and behaviors were correlated within each of the three SAN domains. Men reported more aerobic exercise (d =.48) and more resistance training (d =.34) per week than women. Officers reported greater self-confidence in their ability to consume a post-exercise snack (i.e., refuel; d =.38), greater refueling behaviors (d =.43), greater activity knowledge (d =.33), and greater self-confidence in their ability to achieve activity goals (d ranging from.33 to.39), compared to enlisted Soldiers. Finally, greater confidence in one's ability to achieve healthy sleep correlated with getting more sleep, both during workweek (r =.56, p <.001) and weekend (r =.25, p <.001). These baseline data support the need for health promotion of SAN behaviors among these Soldiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to describe patterns of risk and protective factors affecting U.S. Army families and their association with mental health diagnoses among military‐connected children. Wartime military service is associated with increased adverse outcomes for military‐connected youth, but few studies have explored the impact of concurrent risk and access to protective factors. Using big data methods to link existing datasets, protective factors (e.g., marital and family functioning) were drawn from a voluntary survey completed by 1,630 US Army spouses. Risk factors (e.g., parent mental health, family moves, deployment) were drawn from Department of Defense (DoD) archival data. Rates of mental health diagnoses among youth were derived from DoD healthcare records. Using the three‐step method of latent profile analysis, five profiles emerged with variability across risk and protective factors. The largest group (40% of the sample) had considerable protective factors and limited risk exposure. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of mental health diagnoses among military‐connected youth were observed across profiles (χ2 = 30.067, df = 4, p <.001), with the highest rates (31.1% and 30.5%) observed in the two profiles with the lowest protective factors. Findings suggest most military families are faring well and highlight the importance of a thorough assessment that evaluates both the stressors military families face and the strengths they possess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined patterns of risk and protective factors among military families and associations with mental health diagnoses among U.S. Army spouses. Spouses (N = 3,036) completed a survey of family psychosocial fitness, which informed protective factors including coping, family cohesion, and social support. Survey results were linked with Department of Defense archival data, which provided information on military-specific risks, including relocation, deployments, and reunification, as well as mental health care diagnoses. The three-step method of latent profile analysis identified six profiles, suggesting significant heterogeneity in military families with respect to their access to resources and exposure to risk. The largest profile of families (40.48% of the sample) had limited risk exposure and considerable strengths. Variability in risk and protection across profiles was associated with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of mental health diagnoses among spouses (χ² = 108.968, df = 5, p < .001). The highest prevalence of mental health diagnoses among Army spouses (41.2%) was observed in the profile with the lowest levels of protective factors. Findings point to the importance of evaluating both concurrent risk and protective factors. Increasing access to resources may be a fruitful avenue for prevention among military families that are struggling. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining a healthy marriage may be challenging for military couples as they attempt to balance the demands of work and family; for dual-military couples, this can be even more challenging. Using data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study, we examined whether military stress experiences negatively impact marital quality through the mediation of work–family conflict. Spouse gender and dual-military status were included as moderators. Spouses reported on marital quality, work–family conflict, military stress experiences, and personal military experience. Spouse and service member demographics were also included. Results demonstrated that experiencing more military stress experiences was related to lower marital quality, which was mediated by work–family conflict. Additionally, female dual spouses reported lower marital quality than male dual spouses and civilian spouses. Findings from this study highlight the importance of providing support to military spouses for stressful military events and potentially tailoring support services for female dual spouses to improve marital quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]