Prevalence of disease and non-battle injury, anxiety and depression in the Royal Thai Armed Forces during the operation of the United Nations in Burundi.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and impact of common disease and non-battle injuries (DNBI) among the military personnel deployed to the operations of the United Nations (UN) in Burundi from June to December 2005.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population consisted of 175 Thai military personnel. A pre- and post deployment questionnaire assessing demographic data, general health, dental problems, underlying disease and health risk behaviors was performed. The information of DNBI was collected weekly. Data on initial visits for 27 DNBI categories were complied at the unit and event data on morbidity measures for each DNBI category were aggregated for all reporting units on a weekly basis. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale.

RESULTS

The majority of the troops was in good health at pre- and post deployment. The total weekly initial visit DNBI rate was 337.6 visits per 1,000 persons, which was rather high compared to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reference rate. The most common DNBI categories were respiratory illnesses (21.9%), medical/surgical injuries (19.8%) and recreational injuries (15.5%).

CONCLUSION

The present data indicated that despite modern preventive medicine measures, illnesses and non-battle injuries were still common, which had a significant impact on military readiness and operational efficiency.