title: Attrition of military enlistees with a medical waiver for myopia, 1999-2001.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Military service requires physical fitness, including vision within set standards. Premature attrition inflicts a considerable manpower and fiscal burden upon the military.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective cohort survival analysis of newly enlisted military personnel who entered active duty with a medical waiver for myopia between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2001. Premature attrition rates, both medical and overall, were compared with those for a matched, fully qualified, comparison group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  New enlistees with a waiver for myopia had the same probability of remaining on active duty through the first 2 years of service as did fully qualified peers. Enlistees with a waiver for myopia also had a low probability of an early medical discharge for myopia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study tend to validate the current branch-specific myopia waiver processes. They also provide evidence that current myopia accession criteria may be too restrictive and in need of policy review.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biometrics and Preventive Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Niebuhr
authors.forename: Timothy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Margot R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Francis L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: McVeigh
authors.forename: Aaron K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tarbett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009216:Myopia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation