Air Force Instruction Afi 36 2905 Fitness Program Including 3 January 2013 Changes

Author : Elizabeth Amos
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (134 download)

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Download or read book Improving Fitness Outcomes for Postpartum Women written by Elizabeth Amos and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The United States military counts on a diverse and inclusive military to confront our nation’s challenges. The DOD as a whole has been addressing this commitment with studies, retention efforts, and training to assure that every member feels they are a valued member of the team. Despite this, the DOD, and the Air Force have fallen short with regards to its female airmen. A recent investigation into this issue by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that female service members make up 16.5% of the U. S. Military with an attrition rate that is 28% higher than their male counterparts. Additionally, it found that the services lacked clear goals, metrics, and timelines for programs to retain valuable members of its military (GAO, 2020). The report FEMALE ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL Guidance and Plans Needed for Recruitment and Retention Efforts by the GAO identified 6 themes for women’s retention in the force. Of these, issues around pregnancy were identified as one of the major issues affecting female officers in focus groups. This among other family planning challenges were found in three of the six literature reviews affecting women’s decisions to stay in or leave the Air Force (GAO, 2020). From the Women’s Initiative Team’s (WIT) outreach into these issues, a well-known obstacle for women in the Air Force is addressing postpartum recovery and return to fitness plans. Many Air Force women have struggled to get guidance for fitness, pain, and mental health issues that would affect their full participation in a fitness routine. To date, there is not a centrally funded or mandated requirement to provide extra services to postpartum women leading to a piecemeal application of services. To accelerate Improving Fitness Outcomes for Postpartum Women: Air Force Instructions Update change for women’s health and fitness, women’s postpartum fitness programs will be examined to make recommendations for Air Force instruction (AFI) updates that will increase the safety and health of its members. To begin to understand the effect this lack of support has had on women, the WIT published a survey through social media to ask questions regarding postpartum diagnosis, fitness plans/support, pain levels, pre-and post-pregnancy scores, and fitness test’s impact on their retention decision. The survey had 95 anonymous responses were received from Airmen in 5 MAJCOMs: ACC, AETC, AFMC, PACAF, and USAFE. Pain from childbirth affected 50% of the respondents at 1 year postpartum. Postpartum Depression affecting 30% of the Airmen was an astonishing number when CDC reports a 12.5% rate of maternal depression in the civilian population (WIT). These initial statistics demonstrate the critical need to address postpartum health issues not only for retention but for restoring the member to full function. As a result of this initial survey, a completed survey has been approved by the Air Force Survey Office to be distributed Air Force-wide in February (Eldridge, 2020). (See ANNEX 1 for WIT survey questions, ANNEX 2 for survey results). In the study, Training for the Air Force Fitness Assessment: Experience of Postpartum Women, Col Nicole Armitage, Ph.D., RN demonstrated that postpartum women felt a distinct lack of support from their units and medical follow-up in understanding their physiological and psychological changes. In addition to the lack of support, many felt that asking for additional support for seeing a physical therapist, pain or modifications to unit physical fitness regimes through a formal duty limiting conditions, or “profile” was viewed negatively, discouraging them from seeking assistance. Some women try to push themselves to participate and increase the risk that they will injure themselves. Col Nicole Armitage makes the recommendation to create programs for women that offer unfettered access to support networks, physical therapists, pelvic floor therapists, and dieticians (Lt Col Nicole H. Armitage, Billie M. Severtsen, & Roxanne Vandermause, 2014). To address these identified shortcomings, a program for Nellis and Creech was developed called the Nellis & Creech Airman Pregnancy & Postpartum Wellness Program (A3PW) which serves as a model for future Air Force Instruction (AFI) updates can be modeled after. This program provides postpartum women individual treatment while connecting them to existing services and providing a support network. The program is open to active-duty members and their spouses to provide access to nutrition classes, exercise clinics, and mental resiliency strengthening throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period (Eldridge, 2020). (See ANNEX 3 for additional information on the Nellis & Creech Airman Pregnancy & Postpartum Wellness Program (A3PW))."--Pages 3-5.