Gastrointestinal Disease in Pilots, 2001-2013

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Military Health

Background:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) disease impacts Air Force pilot fitness for duty.
• Understanding GI disease prevalence in pilots is crucial for operational risk and human performance.
• Current medical standards for flight status require data on GI disease burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency and distribution of GI disease in active duty Air Force pilots.
• To compare the burden of GI illness among pilots, aircrew, and non-aircrew personnel.
• To assess trends in GI disease over time within these military populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a healthcare visit dataset (2001-2013) for inpatient and outpatient encounters.
• Categorized GI illnesses into 18 subcategories for analysis.
• Compared GI disease burden across pilots, nonpilot aircrew/special operational duty personnel, and nonaircrew/nonspecial duty personnel.

Main Results:

• Esophageal disease and dyspeptic conditions were the most common GI diagnoses, accounting for nearly 50% of cases.
• No statistically significant difference in the overall burden of GI disease was found among the three groups (median of 4 encounters/person).
• A notable increase in the total burden of GI disease was observed over the study period, primarily driven by esophageal and dyspeptic conditions.

Conclusions:

• The distribution and overall burden of GI disease are similar between Air Force pilots and other military personnel.
• The rising incidence of esophageal and dyspeptic conditions requires further investigation.
• Findings may inform medical standards related to flight training and duties.