Factors Influencing Omega-3 Index Status in Active-Duty Military Personnel

Background: This study assessed omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA) status, previous brain injury risk exposures, and associations between O3FA status and risk exposures among active-duty military personnel.

Methods: O3FA status was measured by a Holman omega-3 blood test. A survey was conducted to assess brain injury risk history and dietary O3FA factors.

Results: More than 50% of the participants had high-risk status, based on an omega-3 index (O3I) <4%, while less than 2% of the participants recorded low-risk O3I (>8%). O3FA supplementation (p<.001, Cramer's V=0.342) and fish consumption (p<.001, Cramer's V=0.210) were positively correlated with O3FA status. Only 5 O3FA supplement users (n=97 [5.2%]) had a low-risk O3I status, while all nonusers (n=223) had moderateto high-risk O3I status.

Conclusions: Supplementing with O3FA was associated with better O3I status in this population. However, only a few participants achieved optimal O3I status even when taking an O3FA supplement. Participants who ate fish and did not supplement were in the moderateor high-risk O3I groups.