Infectious Disease Trends in the U.S. Navy, 1966-1984
Abstract
Environmental and climatic conditions as well as demographic characteristics play an important role in the incidence of infectious disease. The purposes of this study were 1) to analyze trends in infectious disease hospitalization rates from 1966 to 1984 in the U.S. Navy enlisted population and 2) to identify high risk groups for infectious disease on the basis of the factors of age, sex, race, and duty assignment. Although decreases in hospitalization rates were observed across the two decades for the three major diagnostic categories, the largest decline occurred for respiratory diseases. The disorders of acute upper respiratory infection, diarrheal disease/ gastroenteritis, pneumonia, and rubella accounted for much of this decline. While Navy women had much higher rates of infectious disease than men in the late 1960s and early 1970s, these differences had been greatly reduced by the 1980s. Explanations for the large decreases in women's hospitalization rates across the two decades included the larger number and better integration of women in the Navy, new medications and medical technologies, and a shift from inpatient to outpatient care. Differences across training centers were noted, with Great Lakes having the highest percentages of admissions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA200571
Entities
People
- Anne L. Hoiberg
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center