Prevalence of dehydration in military pilots during flights: a systematic review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17058/rips.v8i1.19218

Keywords:

Dehydration, Water stress, Pilots, Military personnel

Abstract

Introduction: dehydration is the state of body water deficit due to primary losses or inadequate fluid intake. It may not be apparent until approximately 2% of body mass has been lost. According to the literature, even mild dehydration can affect cognitive performance. There are few studies on the amount of fluid loss in military pilots during flight. Objective: to understand the prevalence of dehydration in military pilots during flights, through a systematic literature review. Method: The systematic review was carried out following PRISMA recommendations. The searches were in the following databases: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, SCIENCE DIRECT and SCIELO. There were no language filters or time limits in the search. Risk of bias was determined through the Joanna Briggs Institute critical review. Results: a total of 5,830 studies were found in the systematic review. Next, 615 duplicate studies and 5,202 that did not meet the eligibility criteria were excluded. After reading 21 full texts, 5 studies were included in the systematic review. Conclusion: the results indicated that there is a prevalence of dehydration among pilots during military flights, with significant fluid loss rates, depending on the type of aircraft and flight time. The relationship between dehydration and cognitive performance was the most cited repercussion in most studies. Therefore, the greater the dehydration, the worse the cognitive performance of pilots is likely to be, which could have a critical effect on flight safety.

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Author Biographies

Esther Oliveira Xavier de Brito, AIR FORCE UNIVERSITY

Mestre em Desempenho Humano Operacional da Universidade da Força Aérea; UNIFA
(Universidade da Força Aérea), RJ, RJ, Brasil.

Português Português, UNIFA (Universidade da Força Aérea), RJ, RJ, Brasil.

Doutora e Mestre em Ciência da Nutrição pela Universidade Federal de Viçosa; UNIFA
(Universidade da Força Aérea), RJ, RJ, Brasil.

 

 

Português Português, UNIFA (Universidade da Força Aérea), RJ, RJ, Brasil.

Doutor em Ciências do Movimento Humano pela Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba;
Mestre em Educação Física pela Universidade de São Paulo; UNIFA (Universidade da
Força Aérea), RJ, RJ, Brasil.

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Published

2025-01-02

How to Cite

Oliveira Xavier de Brito, E., Geralda Ferreira, F., & Angioluci Diniz Campos, F. (2025). Prevalence of dehydration in military pilots during flights: a systematic review . Revista Interdisciplinar De Promoção Da Saúde, 8(1), 185-195. https://doi.org/10.17058/rips.v8i1.19218

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Section

ARTIGO DE REVISÃO