Assessment of revised recruitment standards for asthma in the Australian Defence Force.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of relaxed asthma recruitment standards adopted by the Australian Defence Force in 2007.


METHODS
A retrospective audit was conducted on clinical and administrative data for recruits, with and without mild asthma, in their first year of service.


RESULTS
There was no evidence that mild asthmatics experienced worse outcomes than nonasthmatic recruits. Mild asthmatics had fewer illnesses and restricted duty days and were less costly compared to other recruits. There was no difference in the rate of discharge (attrition) between those with and without mild asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
The revised recruitment standards for asthma in the Australian Defence Force have not resulted in unanticipated medical or administrative costs to the organization. Health and administrative outcomes differed little between mild asthmatics and nonasthmatic recruits in their first 12 months of service.
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans' Health, Herston Road, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia.
Renee
R
Ireland
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans' Health, Herston Road, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia.
Michael
M
Waller
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans' Health, Herston Road, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia.
Alison
A
MacKenzie
School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
Jonathan
J
Peake
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans' Health, Herston Road, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia.
Peter
P
Nasveld
D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics*; D001315:Australia; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D016527:Drug Costs; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018803:Models, Economic; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013147:Spirometry / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents