Proportion of U.S. Civilian Population Ineligible for U.S. Air Force Enlistment Based on Current and Previous Weight Standards
Abstract
To ensure enlistment of the healthiest personnel, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) accession process mandates that each applicant meet stringent physical standards, including an acceptable body weight. As our military services face the pressures associated with a time of war, the need for a physically and mentally fit force is apparent. Furthermore, the substantial costs associated with overweight and obesity underlie the necessity of upholding these standards. Until recently, gender-specific weight standards based on height were in place. However, in June 2006 the USAF implemented a new set of height-weight limits utilizing body mass index (BMI) criteria. The acceptable minimum and maximum BMI for all potential enlistees are 19.0 and 27.5 kg/sq m, respectively. However, if an otherwise qualified individual exceeds the maximum weight limit, alternative body fat assessments are made to guarantee that eligible and qualified enlistees do not get overlooked. Current estimates indicate a substantial proportion of the U.S. general population is overweight or obese. Combined with the amended accession standards, this observed trend in increased body weight may be substantially reducing the pool of eligible enlistees. The purpose of this study was to compare, by gender and race, the proportion of civilians ineligible for USAF enlistment using previous and current maximum allowable weights. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Defense Manpower Data Center were analyzed using Stata 8.2. The proportion of civilians ineligible for USAF accession was calculated by gender and race/ethnicity. No significant ineligibility changes were observed among males. Conversely, significant decreases in ineligibility were observed among the entire female group and among some age and racial/ethnic subgroups. Although the proportion of U.S. civilians eligible for USAF enlistment has significantly changed, no such changes were observed in accession rates.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA473867
Entities
People
- Grover K. Yamane
- Tiffany A. D'mello