Attrition of military enlistees with a medical waiver for chronic headache, 1995-2000.
BACKGROUND
Recurrent headaches are disqualifying for military service if they are of sufficient severity or frequency to interfere with normal function in the past 3 years. The occupational impact of waiving this standard is evaluated.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study of enlistees from January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2000, was performed. Enlistees with a waiver for recurrent headaches were compared with fully qualified enlistees (matched 3:1) for retention in the military, headache-related discharges, and hospitalizations.


RESULTS
The 174 individuals with waivers for a history of recurrent headaches were retained on active duty at the same rate as the 522 matched control subjects (log rank test, p = 0.91). Medical record review of waivers documented no debilitating headaches within 1 year before the medical examination.


CONCLUSIONS
These results validate the current headache waiver criteria from the perspective of retention and suggest a more lenient medical accession standard. Future studies should evaluate the morbidity and occupational impact of headaches in the U.S. military.
Jankosky
Christopher
C
U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860.
Niebuhr
David W
DW
Powers
Timothy E
TE
Krauss
Margot R
MR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation