Prevalence and associated factors of musculoskeletal injuries in military police recruits
Keywords:
prevalence, associated factors, training, rehabilitation, preventionAbstract
Musculoskeletal injuries represent a significant problem during military police training, compromising individual performance and institutional efficiency. This study investigated the prevalence, associated factors, and characteristics of these injuries among military police officers from the Military Police of Sergipe (PMSE) during initial training courses. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative study was conducted with 494 military police officers (25.5% women and 74.5% men, mean age 29.92 ± 4.17 years for women and 29.57±4.45 years for men) enrolled in the Officer Training Course (CFO) and Soldier Training Courses (CFSd 2019, 2021 and 2022). Data were collected through an electronic questionnaire addressing prior physical activity history, training characteristics, and injury occurrence. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression (p<0.05). The prevalence of injuries was 37.4%, significantly higher among participants with a prior injury history (51.6% vs. 34.2%; p=0.003). Women showed a tendency toward higher occurrence (42.9% vs. 35.6%; p=0.155), with 81% reporting regular prior physical activity. Weight training was predominant among women (64.3%; p<0.001), while running was more common among men (34.8%; p=0.003). Military Physical Education (17.4%) and Police Personal Defense (8.7%, with 15.1% in women vs. 6.5% in men; p=0.001) were the activities most associated with injuries. Efforts perceived as “fatiguing” (13.2%) correlated positively with recovery time (r=0.246; p<0.01). Women more frequently used physiotherapy (9.5% vs. 3.5%; p=0.013) and immobilization (4% vs. 1.6%; p=0.046). The high prevalence of injury highlights the need for preventive strategies, such as screening for prior injuries, monitoring high-risk activities, and implementing muscle strengthening programs that consider differences between sexes, aiming to reduce impacts and ensure continuity in training.
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