Epidemiology of asthma-related disability in the U.S. Armed Forces: 2007-2012

To characterize the demographic, disability and deployment characteristics of U.S. Armed Forces personnel with an asthma-related disability discharge, which includes separation (without benefits) and retirement (with disability benefits).

Incidence rates for personnel evaluated for disability discharge and/or disability retired due to asthma and due to all other causes of disability discharge were calculated per 100,000 active duty enlisted service members by year. Multivariate logistical regression was used to examine the associations between disability retirement and several demographic and disability characteristics of service members evaluated for asthma-related disability discharge versus those evaluated for any other non-respiratory condition for each branch of military service.

Service members evaluated for disability discharge related to asthma most often do not have comorbidity and are disability retired rather than separated, with rates of disability retirement increasing over time. Groups with a significantly higher incidence of evaluation for asthma-related disability include females, individuals who entered the military prior to the age of 20, non-Whites, and those with a history of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. The characteristic most associated with the odds of disability retirement was a history of deployment.

New-onset asthma occurring after military entry often causes occupational impairment in service members, especially in those that have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.