National mortality profile of active duty personnel in the U.S. armed forces: 1980-1993.
Source
Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-103, 1996 Sep; :1-63
Abstract
The mortality experience of US military personnel from 1980 through 1993 was analyzed. The number of deaths was 27,070 for an annualized rate of 94.9 per 100,000 personnel. Men accounted for over 95% of these deaths, whites for 78%, and those aged 34 or less for 81%. The majority of these military deaths, 60%, were due to unintentional injury. Disease and illness accounted for about one in every five deaths. Among males, suicide was noted in 13% of all deaths, followed by homicide in 5%. For women, the rates were 14% of all deaths for homicide and 12% for suicide. Hostile action took the lives of 2% and an additional 1% died of unclassified or unknown causes. The number of unintentional and injury deaths among men decreased by 60% from 1980 through 1993. The number of unintentional injury deaths among women decreased by 60%. The number of disease related deaths decreased by about half. Fatality rates for disease and illness increased with age from the middle to the oldest age group. Personnel younger than 25 years of age accounted for 48% of all military suicides. The all causes fatality rates per 100,000 were highest for the Marine Corps at 122.5 and lowest for the Air Force at 72.7.
Keywords
Military-personnel; Soldiers; Sailors; Mortality-surveys; Accident-statistics; Epidemiology; Sex-factors; Age-factors
Document Type
Numbered Publication
NTIS Accession No.
PB97-130454
Identifying No.
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-103
Source Name
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
