title: Injuries before and after deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine outpatient injuries before and after deployments of elements of the 10th Mountain Division to Afghanistan (n = 505 men) and the 1st Cavalry Division to Iraq (n = 3242 men).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational.
  
  
  METHODS
  The military units provided a list of deployed soldiers, and soldiers' outpatient medical encounters were obtained from the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Cumulative injury incidence was examined for two consecutive 90-day periods before the deployments (Periods 1-2) and two consecutive 90-day periods after the deployments (Periods 3-4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups showed post-deployment increases in the overall incidence of injury (Afghanistan group = 14.1%, 14.1%, 16.4, 23.4%; Iraq Group = 15.1%, 12.4%, 35.4%, 43.4%; Periods 1-4, respectively). Soldiers with pre-deployment injuries were 1.4-3.0 times more likely to experience post-deployment injuries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found a post-deployment increase in the incidence of outpatient injury. Also, soldiers with pre-deployment injuries were more likely to experience post-deployment injuries.
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Public Health, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, USA. joseph.knapik@us.army.mil
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Knapik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiess
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grier
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult