More than 13,000 public health experts are meeting in the capital this week
The public-health gurus of the American Public Health Association – all 13,000 of them – are meeting in Washington this week to figure out how we can all lead more healthy lives. It’s a noble pursuit, to be sure. Some of the studies and sessions investigate issues of interest to the nation’s troops. They may sound pretty grim, but here’s a rule of thumb that serves me well: the bad news in military-personnel studies tends to be as exaggerated as the good news in military-weapons-development pitches.
Bottom line: our troops are better than the research indicates, and our weapons aren’t as good as the research suggests (then, consider the source: the APHA boasts both a peace caucus and a socialist caucus, but no military caucus or troops caucus that I can find).
One thing’s for sure: after a decade of war, here’s plenty of work for these folks to do. What follows are the titles and excerpts from the summaries of some of the research they’re detailing this week:
Trends in the incidence of persistent postconcussion syndrome among active duty US Military personnel between 1997 and 2007
Traumatic brain injury and associated sequelae, such as persistent postconcussion syndrome (PCS), have emerged as important public health concerns among military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The objective of this study was to examine trends in the incidence of PCS among US service members on active duty between 1997 and 2007…The adjusted average annual percentage increase in the incidence of PCS from 1997 through 2002 was 8.1%. Following the initiation of combat operations, the average annual percentage increase in the incidence rate for PCS was 49.7%…Significant increases in the incidence rate for PCS were observed following the initiation of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and trends were influenced by branch of military service, occupational group, and deployment status. The increase in the incidence for PCS suggests an increased burden on the Military Health System during wartime.
Quality of Life Outcomes of Military Burn Patients
Results: Most participants were men (99%), with a mean age of 25.5, who were Caucasian (69%), single (47%). and possessed a high school education (55%). Most were in the Army (74%) and had been in the military for 3.5-5 years. Most were victims of improvised explosive devices (53%) with thermal burns (97%); mean total body surface area burned was 24.24%….participants were satisfied with their lives overall.
Coming Together Around Military Families: Meeting the Needs of the Youngest Family Members Impacted by Military Service
The deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have been affecting military families for nearly a decade. As of June 2009, almost 900,000 of combat deployed military personnel were parents. As of July, 2010, over 71,000 U.S. service members had been wounded during the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan and almost 7000 had been killed. In addition to physical injuries, service members have sustained less visible injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and/or traumatic brain injury…Young children rely heavily on positive interactions with their caregivers to promote optimal social-emotional development. Parental stress or trauma can compromise these early interactions and potentially influence an infant or toddler’s developmental trajectory.
Weapon Carrying, Physical Fighting and Gang Membership among Adolescents in Washington State Military Families
In 2010, 1.98 million United States children had at least one parent serving in the military. Youth access to weapons and adolescent interpersonal violence are positively associated with high-risk behaviors and victimization; however, no studies have examined these relationships in military families…In 8th grade, parental deployment was associated with higher odds of reporting weapon carrying (OR=2.2) in girls, and higher odds of physical fighting (OR=1.8), and gang membership (OR=2.1) in boys. In 10th/12th grade, parental deployment was associated with higher odds of reporting physical fighting (OR=2.6), carrying a weapon (OR=2.2), and gang membership (OR=2.8) among girls, and physical fighting (OR=2.5), carrying a weapon (OR=2.9), and gang membership (OR=2.1) among boys…Parental military deployment is associated with increased odds of adolescents engaging in school-based physical fighting, carrying a weapon, and gang membership, particularly among older youth.
Mental health and substance abuse comorbidities of mIlitary personnel with current PTSD symptoms
Deployment and trauma are associated with a number of mental health problems experienced by military personnel. Many of these co-occur, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidal ideation and attempt, alcohol and drug abuse, and anxiety…Almost 32% of personnel who met criteria for PTSD also met criteria for at least one of five other mental health problems; 75% of those with depression symptoms symptoms also met criteria for at least one of the other mental health problems.
Evidence of under-reporting of behavioral health problems by high-risk individuals during a standardized screening
The military conducts health risk screening for Service Members (SMs) returning from combat. SMs complete a self-report assessment about common post-deployment health problems, including behavioral health, and then are interviewed by a health care provider…Anonymous surveys were collected from 6,714 SMs, with 2, 217 linked to SMs’ de-identified screening results. A substantial minority (10-14%) of SMs admitted to underreporting physical, emotional, and alcohol use problems on the screening. More than a third (39%) of SMs agreed that they had experienced an emotional, alcohol, stress, or family problem since returning from deployment, or that family or friends had suggested they seek help for such a problem. However, almost half (43%) of these SMs did not report any such problem on the military’s screening form.
Temporal Trends in the Epidemiology of Psychiatric Disability in the US Army: 2005-2010
Psychiatric conditions in US military personnel are of increasing interest to military policy makers, particularly as risk factors for suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Assessment of mental health before and after deployments have increased the diagnosis of psychiatric conditions and referrals to mental health professionals….Rates of psychiatric disability have doubled in the US Army from 2005 to 2010. The proportion of psychiatric disability cases related to PTSD has increased from 3% in 2005 to 68% in 2010.
Temporal Trends in the Epidemiology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Related Disability in the US Army: 2005-2010
The incidence and prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the US military have increased in recent years as a result of ongoing combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recent changes in PTSD-related disability policy in the military are expected to change the population of service members evaluated for PTSD…Rates of PTSD disability increased substantially in the US Army from 2005 to 2010. In 2010 the rate of PTSD disability was more than four times the rate in 2005.
Militarization of the U.S. civilian gun industry
This segment of the session will encompass a photo/ slideshow presentation reflecting on how the U.S. civilian firearms market is now defined by military weaponry. The dramatic photo representation will help to showcase this marked change. The talk will discuss the reasons behind this dramatic shift, and its implications for public health and safety.
Prevalence of smoking in male soldiers and its association with aggressive behavior
Smoking rates are markedly higher in the military than the general population, particularly following combat. The highest rates are seen in the Army. Though the co-morbidity of smoking and mental illness is well-established, and aggressive behavior has been associated with mental illness in a military population, aggressive behavior has not been examined as correlate of smoking…Overall, 48.9% of soldiers reported smoking at least one cigarette daily with 18.9% smoking a pack a day or more. After controlling for demographic variables, combat exposure, combat injury, adverse childhood experiences, alcohol abuse, and mental health symptoms, aggressive behavior was positively related to the number of cigarettes consumed (β= .10, t = 3.29, p < .001)…Nearly half of male soldiers reported smoking six months post-deployment with one-fifth smoking a pack or more a day. Even after adjusting for common correlates, aggressive behavior was associated with cigarette consumption. The Army should consider incorporating anger management techniques into smoking cessation programs.
Keeping veterans smoking: How the tobacco industry used front groups to lobby Congress to mandate smoking lounges in veterans’ facilities
When, in the late 1980s, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sought to disallow smoking and tobacco sales in all VA facilities, the tobacco industry mobilized to prevent what it feared might lead to a service-wide smoking ban. It hired consultants to create a “grass roots coalition” of veterans to oppose the policy and allow the industry to play a less visible role. Arguing that it would be unpatriotic to deny veterans one of the “freedoms” they had fought for, while dismissing tobacco’s deadliness, veterans’ service organizations (VSOs) and industry lobbyists successfully influenced Congress to pass a law requiring every VA facility to provide an indoor smoking lounge. Civilian public health advocates should collaborate with VSOs and military public health advocates to expose the industry’s behind-the-scenes manipulation, reframe the debate, and repeal the law.