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Updated: May 10, 2026

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
Predictors of completing compulsory military service among men who have received a temporary exemption from service
Kaija Appelqvist-Schmidlechner1, Markus Henriksson, Kai Parkkola
1National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract:
Military or alternative civilian service is obligatory for all Finnish male citizens. About 70% of each annual age cohort carry out this service. The rest are given either a permanent or temporary exemption from military or civil service. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors associated with completing military service after having once been given a temporary exemption from service. The study sample consisted of 245 men who were exempted temporarily from service. The data were collected through questionnaires and register data. During the 5-year follow-up, only 21 men had completed the service following a previous temporary exemption. Completing military service was associated with an exemption based on a somatic diagnosis, having no suicidal ideation in the past, no history of parental divorce, and having physical exercise at least once a week. The results of this study support the idea of preferring to give a permanent exemption instead of a temporary exemption. However, this trend runs the risk of discharging men who could be capable of later completing the service successfully.
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