Recruits’ perception of factors influencing dietary intake during basic military training: A qualitative study

Introduction: During basic military training (BMT), recruits often have elevated energy requirements because of intense training and can have difficulties meeting their nutritional needs, potentially resulting in decreased performance and increased risk of injury. This study documents recruits’ perceptions of individual, dietary, and environmental factors that influenced their food intake during BMT. Methods: This qualitative phenomenological study included semi-structured individual interviews with Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) recruits who recently completed BMT. Virtual interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using a thematic content analysis approach. Results: Between September 2022 and March 2023, 16 recently graduated recruits participated in the study. Six main themes emerged related to the individual (physical activity level, hunger level, mood and morale), the environment (food environment, social influences), and the diet (food characteristics), with multiple theme interactions. No sex or gender differences were identified. Aspects of the food environment, including short meal duration and reduced food availability and accessibility, limited recruits’ ability to eat sufficiently to compensate for their increased physical activity and contributed to increased hunger levels. Food characteristics were adequate for some, but others would have preferred more variety and better-quality food. Social influences, mood and morale, food environment, and food characteristics were reported as facilitators of or barriers to recruits’ dietary intake. Discussion: Several individual, environmental, and dietary factors were found to influence recruits’ dietary intake during BMT. These data provide some insights on potential avenues for improving recruits’ dietary intake; however, more research is needed to develop evidence-based strategies.