Evaluation of space motion sickness among the flight trainees of the brazilian air force
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22480/revunifa.2013.26.576Keywords:
Space motion sickness, Military personnel, Airsickness, PrevalenceAbstract
The objective of this research was to investigate the prevalence of motion sickness among aviation students of the Brazilian Air Force in Pirassununga, state of São Paulo, their search for medical treatment and the influence of symptoms on their performance. To this end, a cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted, based on a questionnaire created by the researcher. Then, the data were tabulated and analyzed confidentially. The number of cadets evaluated was 105. Their average age was 20 years, and the majority were male (97%). The small number of women does not allow inferring a comparison between the sexes. The number of individuals diagnosed with motion sickness was 46 (43.8%), while in international studies it ranges from 10% to 39%. Stunts were the most provocative maneuvers, cited by 28 of the 46 cadets. Of the 46 cadets affected, 45.6 (n=21) denied interference of symptoms in performance, 26.1% (n=12) reported that their performance was affected in one mission, 13% (n=6) in two missions, 4.4% (n=2) in three missions, 8.7% (n=4) in four or more missions and 2.2% (n=1) in all missions, corroborating previous studies of decreased performance caused by motion sickness. Of the cadets with symptoms of motion sickness, 58.7% (n=27) sought medical assistance after the crisis, but only 30.4% (n=14) underwent some type of treatment. Thus, a prevalence of motion sickness among Brazilian cadets was slightly higher than that found in international studies.
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