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Heat Strokes in Active-Duty Military
Kristin A Horan1, Michael Schlenk2, Hayes Anderson3
1Department of Psychological Science, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA.
Military Medicine
|March 10, 2025
Summary
Heat stroke diagnoses in military service members decreased from 2016 to 2021. Certain subgroups, including males and junior enlisted personnel, showed higher incidence rates, indicating a need for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Military medicine
- Environmental health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Military service members face significant heat stroke risk during training and operational tasks.
- Heat stroke is a serious condition with potentially fatal outcomes, necessitating surveillance of incidence trends.
- Understanding subgroup variations in heat stroke diagnoses is crucial for effective prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze heat stroke incidence trends in U.S. military personnel from 2016 to 2021.
- To identify demographic and service-related subgroups with disproportionately high heat stroke rates.
- To replicate and extend previous findings on military heat stroke epidemiology.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) for the period 2016-2021.
- Calculated heat stroke incidence rates per 10,000 service members.
- Employed single-sample chi-square analyses to compare subgroup incidence against population density.
Main Results:
- Overall heat stroke incidence declined by 5.46% during the study period, with 2,295 cases recorded.
- Males, younger personnel, unmarried individuals, and White service members were overrepresented in diagnoses.
- Overrepresentation was also noted in the Army and Marine Corps, and among junior paygrades.
Conclusions:
- Heat stroke incidence decreased in the military between 2016 and 2021.
- Specific subgroups exhibited higher rates, likely due to variations in training, tasks, and supervision.
- Continued focus on heat stroke prevention, recognition, and treatment policies in military settings is essential.
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