Collaborative Research and Support of Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center Defense Women's Health Research Program Projects Relationships Between a Female Soldier's Military Occupational Specialty (MHOS) and Birth Outcomes.

This study compared the unplanned pregnancy rate in soldiers against wives and daughters of soldiers. In addition, this investigation evaluated the relationships between a soldiers job, classified into specific job categories, as well as, some of the more common military occupational specialties and spontaneous abortion, small for gestational age, and preterm birth. This investigation found that pregnant soldiers who reside in the barracks demonstrated an unplanned pregnancy rate of 77.9 percent. The odds ratio for unplanned pregnancy in barracks residents was 4.323.24-5.78 and the odds ratio for pregnant barracks residents and never previously utilizing oral contraceptives was 2.551.87-3.48. These results may suggest access barriers to health care. Soldiers in the logistics job category demonstrated an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, the odds ratio was 1.871.20-2.93, within the logistics job category soldiers in MOS 92A demonstrated an odds ratio of 2.551.48-4.37. No other occupations were found to be at risk for spontaneous abortion. Soldiers were not, and no soldier job categories were identified at increased risk of S or preterm birth. The most important predictors of SGA were Asian race 1.751.06-2.88, Black race 2.321.72-3.13, cigarette use 12 to 1 pack per day 2.171.45-3.26, and cigarette use more than 1 pack per day 2.711.17-6.29. The most important predictors of preterm birth were Black race 2.321.72-3.13 and cigarette use less than 12 per day 1.591.05-2.39.