title: Disease and nonbattle injury patterns: afloat data from the U.S. Fifth Fleet (2000-2001).
abstract: Disease and nonbattle injury (DNBI) patterns were analyzed for reports from the Commander Fifth Fleet for 2000-2001 covering 217,972 person-weeks. The overall DNBI rate was 4.38 visits per 100 person-weeks with the largest subcategory being "other medical/surgical" conditions (1.36 visits/100 person-weeks and over 30% of the initial patient visits). This was followed by dermatological (0.89 visits/100 person-weeks) and respiratory conditions (0.65 visits/100 person-weeks). Collapsing total injuries would have created the third largest incidence category. The mean DNBI rate for cruisers/destroyers/ frigates (4.23 visits/100 person-weeks; SD, 2.64 visits) was not significantly different from aircraft carriers (4.76 visits/100 person-weeks; SD, 1.60, t(df = 207) = -0.91, p = 0.363) but was statistically different from supply ships (8.93 visits/100 person-weeks; SD, 2.44, t(df = 191) = -6.23, p = 0.000) and amphibious support ships (8.07 visits/100 person-weeks; SD, 3.99, t(df = 190) = -4.72, p = 0.000). These results are compared with historical data from land-based units, and the limitations in shipboard DNBI reporting are discussed.
authors.affiliation: The Navy Environmental Health Center, Portsmouth, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Bohnker
authors.forename: Sterling S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McGinnis
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009017:Morbidity; D009326:Naval Medicine; D014481:United States; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*