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Military Occupational Specialty Codes: Utility in Predicting Inhalation Exposures in Post-9/11 Deployers
Lauren M Zell-Baran1, Richard Meehan, Jenna Wolff
1National Jewish Health, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Denver, Colorado (Ms Zell-Baran, Dr Meehan, Ms Wolff, Dr Strand, Dr Krefft, Dr Gottschall, Dr Macedonia, Dr Gross, and Dr Rose); University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado (Dr Meehan, Dr Gottschall, Dr Macedonia, Dr Gross, Dr Rose, and Dr Sanders); Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado (Ms Zell-Baran, Dr Strand and Dr Pepper); Veterans Administration Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Aurora, Colorado (Dr Krefft); United States Air Force, Aurora, Colorado (Dr Pepper).
Objective:
The aim of this study was to examine military occupational specialty (MOS) codes to identify those at risk from inhalation exposures during Southwest Asia deployment.
Methods:
Exposure intensity to diesel exhaust, sandstorms, burn pit smoke, combat dust, and occupational vapors/dusts/gases/fumes (VDGF) were scored for all Army/Marine MOS codes by an expert panel. Based on MOS code, panel-rated exposure scores were compared with questionnaire data from military personnel with postdeployment respiratory illnesses.
Results:
All exposures except VDGF were rated higher (range P < 0.0001 to P = 0.003) for combat versus noncombat MOS codes. Deployers with respiratory illnesses reported more intense exposure to diesel exhaust (P < 0.0001), burn pit smoke (P < 0.0001), and sandstorms (P = 0.005) compared with panel raters. These deployers clustered in MOS codes rated highest for inhalation hazard exposure intensity.
Conclusions:
MOS codes are useful in identifying high-risk military occupations where medical surveillance and exposure control should be focused.
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