The effects of prenatal vitamin supplementation on operationally significant health outcomes in female air force trainees

A prenatal vitamin supplementation program for female basic military trainees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was initiated in June 2012 with the goals of decreasing attrition and improving performance. This project examined whether supplementation influences attrition rates, incidence of stress fractures and iron deficiency anemia, and physical performance. This was a cohort-based pilot study with an historical control group. Primary outcome measures included all-cause attrition, medical attrition, stress fractures, and iron deficiency anemia. Incidence rates of all-cause attrition, medical attrition, stress fractures, and anemia were similar in both groups, although the lower medical attrition in the supplementation group approached statistical significance (risk ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-1.01). Although this study found no statistical benefit, the operationally significant reduction in medical attrition of 26% suggests that providing prenatal vitamin supplementation to female basic trainees in the Air Force may be worthwhile.