UNITED-STATES-NAVY HEALTH SURVEILLANCE .1. FEASIBILITY OF A HEALTH PROMOTION TRACKING SYSTEM

No systematic monitoring procedure is in place that can provide inform ation about successes or deficiencies in Navy health promotion efforts . This study tested the feasibility of using a brief Health Promotion Tracking Form (HPTF) as part of the periodic physical examinations req uired of all Navy personnel. Clinics in four geographic regions used t he HPTF for a 1-month period. Patients completed HPTF items addressing health-related and demographic items; medical examiners completed HPT F items related to blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride level s. Analyses revealed acceptably low levels of missing data overall. De mographically, the total sample was similar to the Navy in terms of se x, age, and enlisted occupation, although a racial and socioeconomic b ias was seen. Results of this study suggest several recommendations fo r collecting reliable data for an accurate, ongoing assessment of Navy health.