title: External-cause mortality among 21 609 Norwegian male military peacekeepers deployed to Lebanon between 1978 and 1998.
abstract: To investigate external-cause mortality among 21 609 Norwegian male military peacekeepers deployed to Lebanon during 1978-1998.
  
  
  
  The cohort was followed from the 1st day of deployment through 2013, and mortality during deployment and post discharge was assessed using SMRs calculated from national rates in Norway. Poisson regression was used to see the effect of high-conflict versus low-conflict exposure.
  
  
  
  For the total cohort, external-cause mortality was within expected values during deployment (SMR=0.80) and post discharge (SMR=1.05). In the low-conflict exposure group, a lower mortality from all external causes (SMR=0.77), transport accidents (SMR=0.55) and accidental poisoning (SMR=0.53) was seen. The high-conflict exposure group showed an elevated mortality from all external causes (SMR=1.20), transport accidents (SMR=1.51) and suicide (SMR=1.30), but these risks were elevated only during the first 5 years after discharge. This group also showed elevated mortality from all external causes (rate ratio, RR=1.49), and for transport accidents (RR=3.30) when compared with the low-conflict exposure group.
  
  
  
  Overall external-cause mortality among our peacekeepers was equal to national rates during deployment and post discharge. High-conflict exposure was associated with elevated mortality from all external causes, transport accidents and suicide during the first 5 years after discharge from service.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Military Epidemiology, Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services, Sessvollmoen, Norway.|Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Leif Aage
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.affiliation: Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Jan Ivar
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Martinsen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Military Epidemiology, Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services, Sessvollmoen, Norway.|Uit The Arctic University of Norway, Institute of Community Medicine, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Elin Anita
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Fadum
authors.affiliation: Institute of Military Epidemiology, Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services, Sessvollmoen, Norway.|Uit The Arctic University of Norway, Institute of Community Medicine, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Einar Kristian
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Borud
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015989:Healthy Worker Effect; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Lebanon; military; mortality; suicide; transport accidents