The DOI matches its Crossref record; 38 of the 39 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
An Evaluation of the Effect of Military Service on Mortality: Quantifying the Healthy Soldier Effect
Abstract
Purpose The healthy soldier effect denotes the proposition that military populations are likely to be healthier than other populations. A systematic review was conducted which aimed to quantify the magnitude of the healthy soldier effect.Methods Studies containing mortality rates of military personnel were identified from multiple electronic databases. Studies were included in the meta-analyses if they reported all-cause, cancer, or external-cause mortality in a military population and compared the rates to the general population. Fifty-nine studies were initially identified and 12 were included in the meta-analyses.Results The overall meta-standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for all-cause mortality for deployed veterans was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-0.89) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.56-1.97) for non-deployed veterans based on a mean follow-up of 7.0 and 2.4 years, respectively; for cancer mortality, the SMRs were 0.78 (95% CI: 0.63-0.98) for deployed veterans and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.50-1.14) for non-deployed veterans based on 6.7 and 3.1 years follow-up, respectively; for external-cause mortality, the SMRs were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.72-1.13) for deployed veterans and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.63-1.01) for non-deployed veterans based on 4.8 and 2.0 years follow-up, respectively.Conclusion Military personnel do display a healthy soldier effect that decreases their risk of mortality compared to the general population. The overall healthy soldier effect estimated ranges from 10% to 25%, depending on the cause of death studied and the period of follow-up.
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In the citing paper
“The healthy soldier effect is well known, service having a positive effect on well-being, with serving NZ Veterans having good access to primary healthcare through the military system, but the public healthcare system is the primary pathway to care for all Veterans, who are also covered by the ‘no fault’ accident compensation scheme for accidental injuries and occupational diseases.29”
From Factors associated with self-reported health among New Zealand military veterans: A cross-sectional study (2022) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“Age had a negative association, length of service being positive, most likely due to the ‘healthy soldier’ effect.1”
From Factors associated with self-reported health among New Zealand military veterans: A cross-sectional study (2022) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“On entry, soldiers, sailors and air personnel are subject to a selection process to ensure, as far as possible, good physical and mental health, giving rise to the ‘healthy soldier effect,’ with service personnel being, on average, healthier than the general population.1”
From Factors associated with self-reported health among New Zealand military veterans: A cross-sectional study (2022) · cites this paper as [1]
Citations
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EFFECTS OF SELECTION ON MORTALITY1
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Health Indicators for Military, Veteran, and Civilian Women
Lehavot, K., Hoerster, K. D., Nelson, K. M., Jakupcak, M., & Simpson, T. L. (2012) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2012.01.006 · Cited by 242
Long-term Outcomes of Military Service in Aging and the Life Course: A Positive Re-envisioning
Spiro, A., Settersten, R. A., & Aldwin, C. M. (2016) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnv093 · Cited by 125
The health and wellbeing needs of veterans: a rapid review
Oster, C., Morello, A., Venning, A., Redpath, P., & Lawn, S. (2017) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1547-0 · Cited by 98
“[25] found no differences in the healthy soldier effect in deployed compared with non-deployed veterans.”
BackgroundSuicide risk and prevention in veteran populations
BRUCE, M. L. (2010) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05697.x · Cited by 89
Belding, J. N., Castañeda, S. F., Jacobson, I. G., LeardMann, C. A., Porter, B., Powell, T. M., Kolaja, C. A., Seelig, A. D., Matsuno, R. K., Carey, F. R., et al. (2021) · Annals of Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.12.002 · Cited by 71
Metadata
- Authors
- McLaughlin, R., Nielsen, L., & Waller, M.
- Affiliations
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Corresponding author
- McLaughlin, Ruth
- Venue
- Annals of Epidemiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 928-936
- ISSN
- 1047-2797 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1999317474
- Cited by
- 153
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 11.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- erratum (2015-02-01)
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational Health and Performance
- Social Sciences › Education › Education and Military Integration
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Military and Defense Studies
- Keywords
- military personnel, mortality, cancer mortality, external causes of death, all-cause mortality, standardized mortality ratio, military health
- MeSH terms
- Australia, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Male, Military Personnel, Mortality, Neoplasms, Regression Analysis, United States, Veterans, Models, Statistical, Cohort Studies, Epidemiologic Studies
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