Rank seems to be the main occupational factor associated with poor health among Gulf War veterans, finds research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Much of the debate about ill health among Gulf War verterans has revolved around exposure to specific environmental factors.
A survey of over 3000 randomly selected Gulf War veterans serving in the UK Armed Forces during September 1990 and June 1991 shows that psychological and physical ill health were significantly more common the lower the rank of the serviceman. Privates were 20 per cent more likely to report ill health than non-commissioned officers and around 70 per cent more likely to do so than officers.
Other findings showed that discharge from military service was asscociated with more than double the risk of reported ill health, possibly as a result of having a more sedentary civilian lifestyle, say the authors. But neither training before deployment nor leave afterwards affected health.
Servicemen over the age of 40 were significantly more likely to be suffering psychological distress than were servicemen under 20. Married servicemen enjoyed better health than their unmarried colleagues. Smoking was also associated with more ill health.
The authors conclude that rank may be a proxy for socioeconomic status and therefore reflect the health trends seen in the civilian population where ill health is greater among the less affluent.
Contact:
Dr Khalida Ismail, Gulf War Illness Research Unit, Guy's, King's and St Thomas's Hospital, London. khalida.ismail@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Occupational risk factors for ill health in Gulf War veterans of the United Kingdom 2000; 54: 834-8
Journal
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health