title: Descriptive epidemiology of deployment-related medical conditions and shipboard training-related injuries in a Chinese Navy population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the deployment-related medical conditions and shipboard tactical training-related injuries in a Chinese Navy population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study with the Chinese Navy was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 1543 Navy crewmembers from 2011 to 2015 were collected. The distribution and incidence rate (IR) of different types of medical conditions were provided and compared between the Aden Gulf deployment and nondeployment periods. The occurrence of military training-related injuries in crewmembers receiving 12-week shipboard tactical training was compared with that of 956 marines and 4371 recruits receiving combat and physical training, respectively. The anatomic locations and types of training-related injury were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the nondeployment period, the percentages of the following injuries were significantly higher during deployment: injuries and certain other consequences of external causes (16.97% vs 7.76%), diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (15.40% vs 10.34%) and mental and behavioral disorders (11.23% vs 3.45%); however, respiratory system diseases had a lower percentage (19.84% vs 28.35%). Far seas deployment significantly increased the IRs of acute upper respiratory infection, skin and eye infection, sprains and low back pain as well as aphthous ulcer, insomnia, and seasickness (P < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001). Shipboard training induced higher IRs of injuries to the upper extremities, spine and back and head and face than physical training and a higher incidence of head and face injury than combat training (P < 0.05 or 0.001). Physical training had higher IRs of overuse injuries than shipboard and combat training (P < 0.001). The IR of fracture was higher during combat and physical training than shipboard training (P < 0.01 and 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Chinese Navy has experienced novel health issues in crewmembers in recent years. Corresponding countermeasures should be taken to address deployment-related medical conditions and shipboard training-related injuries in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nautical Injury Prevention, Faculty of Navy Medicine, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: R-R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nautical Injury Prevention, Faculty of Navy Medicine, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J-Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nautical Injury Prevention, Faculty of Navy Medicine, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: L-L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nautical Injury Prevention, Faculty of Navy Medicine, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Nautical Injury Prevention, Faculty of Navy Medicine, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nautical Injury Prevention, Faculty of Navy Medicine, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J-T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Department of Nautical Injury Prevention, Faculty of Navy Medicine, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: yilingcai1@sohu.com.
authors.forename: Y-L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009326:Naval Medicine; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epidemiology; Medical condition; Military training-related injury; Navy personnel