Deployment Experiences and Motor Vehicle Crashes Among U.S. Service Members
Abstract
Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) continue to account for a third of service member fatalities each year. Sociodemographic factors associated with MVCs among service members have been evaluated, but whether deployment-specific experiences during the recent operations are associated with a higher risk of MVCs is unclear. Millennium Cohort Study participants who enrolled during 2001-2006 and were on active-duty service were evaluated. The Military Health System Data Repository was utilized to investigate MVC-related injuries occurring 6 months postdeployment in relation to service related factors while adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and mental and physical health factors. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used for analysis. A total of 13,620 deployed personnel were included in this study. After adjusting for covariates, deployers with combat experiences ((hazard ratio [HR] = 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33-2.62) and those with more than one deployment (two deployments, HR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.32-2.83; three or more deployments, HR = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.71-4.67) had an increased risk for a MVC within 6 months postdeployment. Experiencing combat during deployment and multiple deployments are strong predictors for MVCs within 6 months of returning home among U.S. military members. These data provide critical information for targeting prevention strategies to decrease MVCs among personnel following deployment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA619167
Entities
People
- Isabel Gomez Jacobson
- Kelly A. Woodall
- Nancy F Crum-Cianflone
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center