Healthy Lifestyles Among Military Active Duty Service Members, and Associations With Body Building And Weight Loss Supplement Use.

Abstract Purpose Characterize health behavior profiles among Active Duty service members, and associate these profiles with body-building and weight-loss dietary supplement (DS) use. Methods Based on US Active Duty service-members who completed the 2011 Health Related Behavior Survey (n=35 247), we used latent class analysis to place respondents into latent classes (using healthy/unhealthy food consumption, aerobic activity, strength training, and sleep), and examined associations between latent class and DS use. Results We identified seven health behavior classes. Three had few participants (≤5%); of the remaining four, two had healthy diets; two had a “restricted” diet. Of the two healthy food classes, one was active (19%) and the other was not (17%); likewise, of the two restricted diet classes, one was active (30%) and the other was inactive (28%). Participant characteristics across the four primary latent classes were relatively homogenous along demographics and military branch. The two active classes had the highest usage of body-building and weight-loss DS. Conclusions Service members appear to consume dietary supplements as part of an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Latent classes, derived from health behavior indicators, might be considered “market segments”, which can be targeted with distinct messaging in public health campaigns.