U.S. Army Aviation Epidemiology Data Register: Distribution of Sitting HeightsAmong Army Aviation Training Applicants, 1986 to 1995

摘要

The Aviation Training Brigade, U.S. Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama,and the U.S. Army Aeromedical Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama, requested an analysis of the distribution of sitting heights among male and female applicants for entry into the Army Aviation Branch. They may revise the current sitting height entry standard of 'less than or equal to 102 centimeters' to a new qualification standard as low as 'less than or equal to 97 centimeters.' The analysis was conducted with a query of the U.S. Army Aviation Epidemiology Data Register. Flying duty medical examination data on applicant status, class of officer commissioning, gender, and sitting height were extracted for all Army aviator training applicants for the period 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1995. The analysis showed that adoption of the lower standard (97 centimeters) would reduce the aviator training applicant pool by as much as 9.57 percent. Warrant officer applicants have a slightly greater risk for aeromedical disqualifications due to sitting heights exceeding the proposed standard than commissioned officer applicants (Relative risk (Katz) =1.13, CI 0.95=1.06,1.23). Male applicants would carry almost the entire burden of the increased risk for aeromedical disqualification if the sitting standard was changed (Relative risk (Katz)=19.6, CI 0.95=9.83,39.3).