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Norwegian NRF soldiers acceptance of Allied nations’ field rations during a
military exercise
Masters thesis
Pål H. Stenberg
Akershus University College, Norway
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Background
NATO’s request for a common field ration (or specifications – STANAG 2937) to satisfy:– Sensory requirements (i.e. acceptability)– Interoperability – Nutritional requirements
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Rations must meet all requirements over the full range of environments:
1. Cold (e.g. border of Russia and Norway)
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2. Hot Climates – e.g. Desert Storm, Iraq
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3. Heat (summer), cold (winter) and altitude, e.g. Faryab, Afghanistan)
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Problem
To what extent do Norwegian NATO Response Force (NRF) soldiers accept Allied nations’ field rations during a military exercise?– Sensory/behavioural – Interoperability – Nutrition (how much do soldiers trust the
nutritional adequacy of other nations’ rations?)
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Relevance
NATO HFM RTG 154– Development of common standards for field rations
International operations – Menu fatigue causes weight loss, and local food
choices increase the risk of food-related illness
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Common result of unwise local food choices
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Methods
Prospective cohort pilot study
– Exploratory quantitative study with selection statistics used to show strength of differences between groups
7 platoons, each provided with one of the seven available Allied field rations – USA, Great Britain, France, Slovenia, Canada, Germany, Norway
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Methods – Questionnaire and discards
Survey– Electronic questionnaire
QuestBack
– Open question Repeated in the closed questions (questionnaire)
– Quantifying discarded rations Did discards correspond with their answers in the
questionnaire?
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Methods – labelling discards
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Methods – categorizing discards
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Methods – visually estimated amount of intake of each component (1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3)
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Methods – study location
Study conducted during a field exercise that took place in Norway (between Rena and Hamar) in late autumn 2009
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Methods – Effect size
Effect size and Cohen’s d with corresponding table over % non-overlap between two mean scores – Used in all constructs
Illustrates strength of difference between two mean scores (compared with highest ranked mean)
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The different rations
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GBR
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USA
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GER
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SVN
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FRA
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CAN
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NOR
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Results cont.
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Results
Two nations’ rations were found acceptable as an alternative to Norwegian rations for Norwegian soldiers
Three nations’ rations were close to Likert’s neutral point (3/5)
One nation’s rations were found to be unacceptable
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Results cont’d
Acceptability reduced during the 8-day study– NRF requires 30 days of adequate acceptability
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Results cont’dTable 14: The construct SENSORIAL ACCEPTABILITY of the allied nations’ rations. Mean ranking of the construct is descending. The measurement of CCA (standardised items). Cohen’s d and % non-overlap is based on comparison with the highest mean (USA).
Nation N Mean ± S.D Agree (%) CCA Cohen’s d ≈ Non overlap (%)
USA 114.08 ± 0.88 85 0.88
Slovenia 15 3.77 ± 0.99 88 0.65 0.330 8
Canada 14 3.33 ± 1.05 85 0.82 0.774 33
England 11 3.27 ± 1.18 69 0.87 0.778 33
Germany 17 3.12 ± 0.92 83 0.46 1.066 43
France 15 2.36 ± 1.01 45 0.83 1.816 68
Mean 41 3.30 ± 0.89 76±13
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Results cont’d Table 16: The construct INTEROPERABILITY of the allied nations’ rations. Mean ranking is descending. The measurement of CCA (standardised items), Cohen’s d and % non-overlap is based on comparison with the highest mean (SVN).
Nation N Mean ± S.D Agree (%) CCA Cohen’s d ≈ % non-overlap
Slovenia 11 3.70 ± 0.82 70 0.78
USA 15 3.65 ± 0.65 75 0.80 0.068 15
Britain 11 2.71 ± 1.06 55 0.85 1.045 59
Germany 17 2.50 ± 0.86 49 0.45 1.428 71
Canada 14 2.27 ± 0.96 45 0.89 1.602 75
France 15 2.14 ± 0.96 35 0.75 1.747 79
Mean 14 2.81 ± 0.89 55 ± 12
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Results cont’dTable 18: The construct NUTRITION and the respondents’ trust regarding nutritional aspects in allied nations' rations. Mean ranking is descending. The measurement of CCA (standardised items). Cohen’s
d and % non-overlap is based on comparance with the highest mean (USA).
Nation N Mean ± S.D. Agree (%) CCA Cohen’s d ≈ % Non-overlap
USA 15 3.43 ± 0.76 76 0.77
Slovenia 10 3.43 ± 0.83 86 0.54 0.000 0
England 10 3.18± 1.00 72 0.85 0.281 21
Canada 14 3.01 ± 0.91 78 0.74 0.501 33
Germany 15 2.88 ± 0.98 55 0.55 0.627 38
France 16 2.64 ± 1.07 45 0.79 0.851 52
Mean3.10 ± 0.66 69 ± 12
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Results – most accepted
NationMain courses Spreads Snacks Beverage
GER3.96 ± 0.96 2.71 ± 1.28 3.13 ± 1.16 (2.56 ± 1.35)
SVN4.06 ± 1.00 2.74 ± 1.38 3.12 ± 0.98 (3.04 ± 1.33)
FRA(2.27 ± 0.99) (1.84 ± 1.15) (2.73 ± 1.29) 3.48 ± 1.26
GBR3.30 ± 1.23 3.50[1] ± 1.52 3.78 ± 1.07 3.32 ± 1.11
USA3.99 ± 0.85 3.48 ± 1.27 3.98 ± 0.92 3.78 ± 1.10
CAN3.35 ± 1.03 3.10 ± 0.86 3.24 ± 0.80 3.38 ± 1.08
NOR2.95 ± 0.97 2.76 ± 1.38 2.88 ± 1.30 2.87 ± 1.19
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Results cont’dTable 19: ACCEPTABILITY, all variables (20 items) in the three sub constructs SENSORYACCEPTABILITY, INTEROPERABILITY and NUTRITION listed with” % agree”, mean ± S.D., CCA, Cohen’s d and % non overlap
(compared with highest mean; rations from USA).
Nation N Mean ± S.D Agree (%) Mean ± S.D CCA Cohen’s d ≈ % Non-overlap
USA 15 3.72 ± 0.76 79 3.72 ± 0.76 0,92
Slovenia 10 3.63 ± 0.88 81 3.63 ± 0.88 0,83 0.109 7
England 10 3.06 ± 1.08 65 3.06 ± 1.08 0,95 0.707 43
Canada 14 2.87 ± 0.98 68 2.87 ± 0.98 0,90 0.969 52
Germany 15 2.83 ± 0.92 62 2.83 ± 0.92 0,76 1.055 55
France 16 2.38 ± 1.01 42 2.38 ± 1.01 0,81 1.499 71
Mean 15 3.06 ± 0.52 66 3.06 ± 0.52
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Conclusions and implications
If NATO in the future will provide a multinational force (as NRF), further research should include:
– Acceptance measured 2 – 4 weeks Menu fatigue, see table 41