title: The asthma accession standard: a survival analysis of military recruits, 1995 to 1997.
abstract: Asthma has a significant impact on U.S. military expenditures and readiness. Every year approximately 1,000 recruits are discharged for asthma during their first 6 months of service. This study was done to evaluate the practice of allowing some individuals with a history of asthma to enter military service (waiving). A survival analysis was performed to compare length of time until discharge and asthma-related failure for individuals waived for asthma (cases) and individuals not disqualified for asthma (controls). Cases were 587 recruit applicants initially disqualified who received waivers for asthma and accessed in the years 1995 to 1997. Controls were 1,761 matched enlisted recruits starting basic training in those years. No significant differences were found with respect to general attrition. The statistical differences for asthma-related hospitalization or discharge did not translate into practical differences. Waiving for asthma was not a significant occupational liability in terms of asthma-related hospitalization or early military attrition.
authors.affiliation: Allied Technology Group, Rockville, MD, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Kelley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States