Influence of Contextual Variables and Health literacy on Teamwork Skills in Spanish Military Personnel

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Isabel I University, Burgos, Spain

2 Department of Education and Educational Innovation, Faculty of Law, Education and Humanities, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

3 Grupo de Investigación en Deporte y Educación Física para el Desarrollo Personal y Social (GIDEPSO), Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Teamwork skills are essential for military personnel, influencing both professional performance and adaptation to civilian life. Health literacy has been identified as a factor that can further enhance these skills. To analyze the influence of contextual variables, such as military rank, marital status, and training experiences, on teamwork skills and their relationship with health literacy among Spanish military personnel.

Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 671 Spanish Army personnel. Data were collected via the Teamwork Skills Questionnaire (TSQ), evaluating six dimensions of teamwork, and correlated with health literacy levels. Contextual variables such as rank, marital status, training, and internships were also assessed. Statistical analyses included the Kruskal-Wallis test and decision tree modeling to identify predictors of health literacy.

Results: The results showed that the military enjoy good levels of health literacy, with only 5.7% of the participants have a low level of health literacy, while 56.6% have a standard health literacy and 37.9% have excellent health literacy. Military rank significantly influenced teamwork skills, with officers scoring higher in leadership and adaptability, and non-commissioned officers excelling in coordination. Marital status impacted specific skills; separated participants displayed superior decision-making and adaptability, while married individuals excelled in communication, coordination, and leadership. Training and internships significantly enhanced teamwork skills across multiple dimensions. A positive correlation was observed between teamwork skills and health literacy, with urban residency, higher parental education, and strong personal skills emerging as key predictors of excellent health literacy.

Conclusion: Tailored training programs are recommended to enhance teamwork skills, especially for military personnel with diverse contextual backgrounds. Incorporating health literacy training into military curricula could optimize professional performance and career progression. These findings underscore the importance of addressing contextual and personal factors to improve teamwork and health literacy in the military.

Keywords

Acknowledgement: The authors would like to thank all participants in this study for completing the questionnaires. 


Availability of data and materials: The data sets created and/or analysed for this work are made publicly available upon request.


Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest in the writing.


Consent for publication: All respondents gave consent for publication, provided that anonymity was ensured.


Ethical approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants were informed about the purpose of the research, and informed consent was obtained prior to participation. The study protocol was approved by the Universidad Isabel I de Castilla.


Funding:  There is no source of funding for writing this article.


Author’s contributions: All authors contributed the same to the manuscript.

 

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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