Work-Site Health Risk Appraisal in a Military Population: Effects on Risk Statusand Medical Costs

摘要

Records of 175,000 US Army service members with completed health risk appraisalswere reviewed. The proportion of soldiers at risk for physical and/or emotional illness decreased significantly over time with an exact probability of p=1.07E-52. The sample was reduced to 1651 and divided into four groups as a function of risk status over time. Results were expected to show that soldiers with multiple appraisals reduced risk over time, and that the two high risk groups had lower related medical costs. However, there was a significant increase in each cardiovascular risk with t(1649) = -2.85, p=.004 for cholesterol; t(1649) = -35.86, p=.000 for smoke status; t(1649) = -8.92, p=.000 for systolic blood pressure; and t(1649) = -6.17, p=.000 for diastolic blood pressure. Risk category, age, and sex were expected to predict medical costs, however, the presence of only nine inpatient episodes demonstrated that inpatient admissions were not useful indicators of health care costs in active service members. Results suggested that cardiovascular risk in the active Army population is not influenced by the Army Health Risk Appraisal Program.