Comparison of Morbidity in the Australian Defence Force with Australian General Practice

Abstract

This study was designed to examine morbidity patterns among Australian Defence Forces members and to compare them with civilian general practice. The study was conducted in the outpatient departments of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 6 Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. The patients studied were male and female members of the RAAF (66%), Army (25%), and Navy (9%). The problems managed at all primary care consultations during 1993 and 1994 were coded using the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (Clinical Modification). The codes were grouped and compared against a major study of Australian general practice. In the 6 Hospital study, 21,910 problems were managed at 19,909 consultations. The main differences found between the two studies were that service personnel had more medical examinations, more musculoskeletal and respiratory problems, and fewer psychological and cardiovascular problems. Most of the differences observed may reflect the Defence Force's recruitment selection criteria and the emphasis on physical fitness and diet.

Physical activity is associated with a low prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the Royal Norwegian Navy: a cross sectional study

“…Athletic sports may increase the possibility of some lower-extremity disorders, and this might counteract the expected effect of physical activity on musculoskeletal health. A study on Australian Defence Force members found a high frequency of musculoskeletal problems, especially ankle, knee and spinal strains, among military personnel compared with a population in general practice [26]. Other studies have found high rates of military training-related injuries at or below the knee [28,29].…”

“…However, some studies conclude with a high prevalence of MSD among military personnel [22-24], and MSD are the most prevalent source of disability among United States Army soldiers and Navy personnel [21,25]. Several studies describe frequent musculoskeletal injuries caused by physical training among military personnel [26-29]. We could not find studies on the association between physical activity at work and at leisure and MSD among military personnel.…”

The Effect of Neuromuscular Training on Functional Movement Screen Scores in Injury-Prone Military Athletes

“…Individuals in the armed forces of all countries and military personnel are largely different from the ordinary individuals due to some physical tness and characteristics [1]. There are jobs with high levels of stress, including military jobs.…”

Mental Health Problems of Army Personnel Seen in Medical Outpatient Clinics in Greece

“…Although epidemiologic large scale studies are scarce, data that exist from other countries indicate that military personnel have considerable psychiatric morbidity of varying magnitude, depending on the country and type of service. In addition, they suffer more intense work-related stress and more subclinical manifestations of dysphoria often attributed to the work environment [14][15][16][17][18].…”