Public Health
Epidemiology program highlight: Risk of mortality among Veterans with service in Bosnia/Kosovo
Researchers from VA’s Epidemiology Program, Post Deployment Health Services, studied the cause-specific mortality risks among Veterans who deployed to Bosnia/Kosovo as a part of peacekeeping forces between 1996-2002. The study focused on causes of death found to be of concern in studies of military personnel from the U.S. and other countries who served in Bosnia/Kosovo. Exposures of concern included depleted uranium and pollution resulting from the destruction of industrial plants.
Researchers compared the cause-specific mortality among 53,320 Veterans who deployed to Bosnia/Kosovo to that of 117,267 non-deployed Veterans and to the general U.S. population. They focused on mortality from leukemia, respiratory disease, respiratory cancer, and heart disease.
The overall mortality of both Veterans who deployed to Bosnia/Kosovo and non-deployed Veterans was almost half of that of the U.S. population. Those who deployed did not have any increased risk of mortality from the diseases of concern compared to either the U.S. population or non-deployed Veterans, though researchers recommended continued follow-up of this group because some illnesses can emerge after the time period set for this study.
Read the abstract with findings from this study, “Mortality experience of US veterans following service as international peacekeepers in Bosnia/ Kosovo theater, 1996-2002.”
