Operations tempo and soldier health: The moderating effect of wellness behavior

Several variables have been identified as buffering the impact of workload on health. This study focused on the role of wellness behaviors, specifically physical exercise and sleep, in moderating this impact. The study hypothesized that both sleep and exercise would moderate the impact of work hours on health; it also examined the role of alcohol use as a moderator. U.S. soldiers (N = 1,422) were surveyed on a range of topics related to well-being and workload. Multiple regression results partially supported the hypotheses. Physical exercise was a significant moderator of work hours for both psychological and physical health outcomes, whereas sleep moderated only psychological health outcomes. Low alcohol use moderated the impact of work hours on physical symptoms but only when work hours were short. This article discusses the use of wellness behaviors as a strategy for coping with workload and the need for understanding the role of alcohol use during periods of relatively low workload.