2026, Volume 32, Issue 1
PARTICIPATION IN A HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTERVENTION AND NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AMONG POLISH AIR FORCE SOLDIERS
MAGDALENA KRZYŻANOWSKA1, PAWEŁ JAGIELSKI2, AGATA GAŹDZIŃSKA1
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1Laboratory of Dietetics and Obesity Treatment, Department of Psychophysiological Measurements and Human Factor Research, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine
2Department of Nutrition and Drug Research, Faculty of Health Science, Jagiellonian University, Medical College
Autor korenspondencyjny: MAGDALENA KRZYŻANOWSKA; Laboratory of Dietetics and Obesity Treatment, Department of Psychophysiological Measurements and Human Factor Research, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine; email: mkrzyzanowska@wiml.waw.pl
Streszczenie
Introduction: Proper nutrition is essential for the health, fitness, and operational readiness of Air Force soldiers, who often face high physical and mental stress. Inadequate nutritional knowledge and poor dietary habits can negatively impact their condition and task performance. Previous studies show insufficient nutritional knowledge and high rates of overweight and obesity among soldiers. This study aimed to assess differences in nutritional knowledge between Polish Air Force (PAF) soldiers who participated in an educational program on healthy eating and physical activity and those who did not.
Methods: Among 390 PAF soldiers, 195 participated in the education program while 195 did not. Nutritional knowledge was assessed using a 32-question proprietary questionnaire, scored on a 5-point scale. Nutritional status was measured by body mass index (BMI). Statistical analysis included the Mann-Whitney U test and the chi² test.
Results: Soldiers participating in an education program achieved significantly higher nutritional knowledge (mean 26.1 ± 4.1) than non-participants (22.4 ± 3.6; p < 0.0001). Post-education, 84.6% achieved at least a good rating, versus 55.9% without education. Soldiers in the ‘post-education’ group outperformed the control group (without education) in 14 of 32 questions. Nutritional status did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). Notably, in both groups, only about one-third of soldiers had a normal BMI.
Conclusions: Soldiers who participated in the educational program demonstrated higher levels of nutritional knowledge than those who did not, suggesting a potential benefit of such initiatives in a military setting. The identified areas of knowledge deficits indicate the need for further development and targeting of educational programs.
Słowa kluczowe
nutrition education, nutritional knowledge, nutritional status, public health, soldiers