Measuring SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in neighborhood wastewater.

Longitudinal wastewater sampling during the COVID-19 pandemic was an important aspect of disease surveillance, adding to a more complete understanding of infection dynamics and providing important data for community public health monitoring and intervention planning. This was largely accomplished by testing SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in samples from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). We evaluated the utility of testing for virus levels upstream from WWTP within the residential neighborhoods that feed into the WWTP.

Deployment to a combat zone and other risk factors for mental health-related disability discharge from the U.S. Army: 1994-2007.

Combat exposure is associated with subsequent mental health symptoms, but progression to mental health disability is unclear. Army soldiers discharged with mental health disability (n = 4,457) were compared to two matched control groups: other disability discharge (n = 8,974) and routine discharge (n = 9,128). In multivariate logistic models, odds of mental health disability discharge versus other disability and routine discharge were significantly higher for soldiers deployed to combat zones; odds ratios increased with deployment time.

Physically demanding jobs and occupational injury and disability in the U.S. Army.

Unlabelled: Effective job assignments should take into account physical capabilities to perform required tasks. Failure to do so is likely to result in increased injuries and musculoskeletal disability.

Objective: To evaluate the association between job demands and health outcomes among U.

Alcohol use in nonmutual and mutual domestic violence in the U.S. Army: 1998-2004.

The association between alcohol use and substantiated incidents of nonmutual and mutual domestic violence between U.S. Army enlisted soldiers and their spouses was examined for the period 1998-2004.

Alcohol use and alcohol-related problems before and after military combat deployment.

Context: High rates of alcohol misuse after deployment have been reported among personnel returning from past conflicts, yet investigations of alcohol misuse after return from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are lacking.

Objectives: To determine whether deployment with combat exposures was associated with new-onset or continued alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data were from Millennium Cohort Study participants who completed both a baseline (July 2001 to June 2003; n=77,047) and follow-up (June 2004 to February 2006; n=55,021) questionnaire (follow-up response rate = 71.

Temporal changes in the nature of disability: U.S. Army soldiers discharged with disability, 1981-2005.

Background: We sought to (1) document and describe the relative proportion of disabilities by major type over the study period, (2) describe the population at risk for different types of disability, and (3) document and describe the type of compensation (an indicator of severity) awarded for different types of disability and any temporal changes in these associations.

Methods: Time-series, logistic regression analyses, and direct standardization of rates were used to study 108,119 active-duty Army soldiers discharged with permanent disability between 1981 and 2005.

Results: Of all disability, 91% is captured within the top five most prevalent types of disability: musculoskeletal (72%, n=77,418), neurological (6%, n=6,896), mental health (5%, n=5,075), cardiovascular system (4%, n=4,429), and respiratory (4%, n=4,202).

Health and occupational consequences of spouse abuse victimization among male U.S. Army soldiers.

Little is known about health and occupational outcomes of male spouse abuse victims. In all, 11,294 male spouse abuse victims with a history of spouse abuse perpetration, 3,277 victims without prior spouse abuse perpetration, and 72,855 nonvictims and nonperpetrators were followed for 12 years to assess army attrition and hospitalization risk. In multivariate Cox models controlling for age, race, education, rank, service time, and dependents, victims were at significantly greater risk for early army discharge and hospitalization than were nonvictims- particularly hospitalizations for depression, alcohol dependence, and mental health-even when the hospitalization occurred years after the abuse event.

The changing profile of disability in the U.S. Army: 1981-2005.

Background: we sought to provide a profile of U.S. Army soldiers discharged with a permanent disability and to clarify whether underlying demographic changes explain increasing risks.

A historical look at alcohol abuse trends in army and civilian populations, 1980-1995.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare civilian and Army alcohol-related hospitalization trends and to plot temporal changes in rates relative to alcohol-related legislation and social policies.

Method: We compared population-based civilian and Army annual hospitalization rates for overall alcohol-related diagnoses and for alcohol-related diagnostic subgroups (1980-1995) and plotted them against civilian and military substance abuse regulations. Civilian data were adjusted to Army age, gender, and race.

Causes, types and severity of injury among army soldiers hospitalized with alcohol comorbidity.

Aim: To examine the relationship between alcohol use and the cause, type and severity of hospitalized injuries.

Design/setting: We used the Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes Database (TAIHOD) to conduct cross-sectional analyses of the association between alcohol comorbidity and the cause, type and severity of soldiers' non-combat injuries requiring hospitalization.

Participants: Subjects were active-duty US army soldiers (n = 211 790) hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of injury between 1980 and 2002.

Spouse abuse and alcohol problems among white, African American, and Hispanic U.S. Army soldiers.

Background: Prior studies suggest racial/ethnic differences in the associations between alcohol misuse and spouse abuse. Some studies indicate that drinking patterns are a stronger predictor of spouse abuse for African Americans but not whites or Hispanics, while others report that drinking patterns are a stronger predictor for whites than African Americans or Hispanics. This study extends prior work by exploring associations between heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems, and risk for spouse abuse within racial/ethnic groups as well as variations associated with whether the perpetrator is drinking during the spouse abuse incident.

Does occupation explain gender and other differences in work-related eye injury hospitalization rates?

Objective: We sought to determine whether demographic differences in eye injury rates persist after adjusting for occupational exposure.

Methods: On-duty eye injury hospitalizations were linked to occupation among active-duty US Army personnel.

Results: Eye injury rates were higher for white soldiers, men, and for younger soldiers, even after adjusting for occupational group and specific job titles using multivariate models.

Drinking and spouse abuse among U.S. Army soldiers.

Background: This study examines the relationship between typical weekly drinking and perpetration of spouse abuse as well as the relationship between the perpetrator's typical weekly drinking and alcohol use during the abuse event among U.S. Army male soldiers.

The reliability and validity of the self-reported drinking measures in the Army's Health Risk Appraisal survey.

Background: The reliability and validity of self-reported drinking behaviors from the Army Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) survey are unknown.

Methods: We compared demographics and health experiences of those who completed the HRA with those who did not (1991-1998). We also evaluated the reliability and validity of eight HRA alcohol-related items, including the CAGE, weekly drinking quantity, and drinking and driving measures.

The effect of cigarette smoking on musculoskeletal-related disability.

Background: This study describes cigarette smoking's effect on development of physical disability following initial musculoskeletal-related hospitalization.

Methods: We followed 15,140 US Army personnel hospitalized for common musculoskeletal disorders between 1989-1996 for up to 8 years (1997) to assess risk for long-term physical disability.

Results: Trends between increased smoking level and long-term disability were identified for persons with knee injuries, rotator cuff injuries, and intervertebral disc displacement.

Hospitalizations for fall-related injuries among active-duty Army soldiers, 1980-1998.

Data from the Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes Database (TAIHOD) were used to describe 28,352 fall-related hospitalizations among active-duty Army soldiers between 1980 and 1998. Soldiers who were younger than age 26, single, and had a high school education or less were at greatest risk. Falls from a height were more likely to be fatal than other types of falls, accounting for 88% of all fatalities.

Drinking and other risk taking behaviors of enlisted male soldiers in the US Army.

High-risk drinking is among the top three prevention priorities of the Department of Defense. Research suggests that enlisted male soldiers are particularly at risk for unhealthy drinking behaviors. 292,023 enlisted male soldiers who responded to a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) survey between 1990 and 1998 were dichotomized into high and low-risk drinking groups.

The natural history and risk factors of musculoskeletal conditions resulting in disability among US Army personnel.

We describe the natural history of 13 musculoskeletal conditions requiring hospitalization and identify demographic, behavioral, psychosocial, occupational, and clinical characteristics most strongly associated with disability discharge from the Army. Subjects included 15,268 active-duty personnel hospitalized for a common musculoskeletal condition between the years 1989-1996 who were retrospectively followed through 1997. Back conditions had the greatest 5-year cumulative risk of disability (21%, 19%, and 17% for intervertebral disc displacement, intervertebral disc degeneration, and nonspecific low back pain, respectively).