Injured Soldiers’ Perspectives on the Prevention of Freezing Cold Injuries in the Norwegian Armed Forces: A Secondary Qualitative Analysis

Freezing cold injuries (FCIs) remain a recurrent challenge in cold-weather military operations despite preventive routines and extensive institutional experience in the Norwegian Armed Forces (NAF). A previous published qualitative study examined the causes and consequences of FCIs and the possible influence of military culture. The present secondary analysis examined the same interviews to address a prevention-oriented research question: what did injured soldiers believe could have been done differently to reduce the incidence of FCIs? Three themes emerged from the analysis: (1) translating FCI education into practice, (2) communication and preventive routines, and (3) participant suggestions for preventive actions. Despite receiving formal training, participants described difficulties with applying FCI knowledge and protocols under operational pressure. Their accounts suggest that prevention depends not only on general awareness but also on whether preventive knowledge and routines can be effectively applied under operational conditions.