Effectiveness of nutrition interventions on improving diet quality and nutrition knowledge in military populations: a systematic review

Context Optimizing nutrition in military groups through improved diet quality and nutrition knowledge is key in supporting the high physical and cognitive demands. Objective The objective of this investigation was to systematically review the effectiveness of nutrition interventions among military personnel in improving diet quality and/or nutrition knowledge. Data Sources Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus were searched from the earliest records to May 2020. Data Extraction Data were extracted by 2 reviewers. The primary outcomes were diet quality and/or nutrition knowledge. Data Analysis Twenty studies were included. The main intervention approaches identified were nutrition education of individuals (i.e., education-based studies; EB) (n = 12), and manipulation of the food service environment (i.e., dining facility studies; DFACs) (n = 8). The most common strategies were face-to-face lectures (n = 8) for EB, and healthier menus (n = 7) and education of catering staff (n = 6) for DFAC interventions. Most studies (18/20) demonstrated favorable within-group effects; however, dietary changes were inconsistent. Five of 10 studies using a comparator group demonstrated positive between-group differences. Conclusion Although potential exists for improving diet quality and nutrition knowledge in military populations, the heterogeneity of the studies to date limits conclusions on the most efficacious strategies.