%0 Journal Article
%T A Systematic Review of Post-Deployment Injury-Related Mortality Among Military Personnel Deployed to Conflict Zones
%J BMC public health
%D 2009
%A Knapik, J. J.
%A Marin, Roberto E.
%A Grier, T. L.
%A Jones, Bruce H.
%V 9
%N 1
%P 231-231
%X ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: This paper reports on a systematic review of the literature on the post-conflict injury-related mortality of service members who deployed to conflict zones. METHODS: Literature databases, reference lists of articles, agencies, investigators, and other sources were examined to find studies comparing injury-related mortality of military veterans who had served in conflict zones with that of contemporary veterans who had not served in conflict zones. Injury-related mortality was defined as a cause of death indicated by International Classification of Diseases E-codes E800 to E999 (external causes) or subgroupings within this range of codes. RESULTS: Twenty studies met the review criteria; all involved veterans serving during either the Vietnam or Persian Gulf conflict. Meta-analysis indicated that, compared with non-conflict-zone veterans, injury-related mortality was elevated for veterans serving in Vietnam (summary mortality rate ratio (SMRR)=1.26, 95% confidence interval (95%CI)=1.08-1.46) during 9 to 18 years of follow-up. Similarly, injury-related mortality was elevated for veterans serving in the Persian Gulf War (SMRR=1.26, 95%CI=1.16-1.37) during 3 to 8 years of follow-up. Much of the excess mortality among conflict-zone veterans was associated with motor vehicle events. The excess mortality decreased over time. Hypotheses to account for the excess mortality in conflict-zone veterans included post-traumatic stress, coping behaviors such as substance abuse, ill-defined diseases and symptoms, lower survivability in injury events due to conflict-zone comorbidities, altered perceptions of risk, and/or selection processes leading to the deployment of individuals who were risk-takers. CONCLUSIONS: Further research on the etiology of the excess mortality in conflict-zone veterans is warranted to develop appropriate interventions.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC
%@ 1471-2458
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-9-231