Incidence of physician diagnosed osteoarthritis among active duty united states military service members.

The overall unadjusted incidence rate among all active duty US service members during the study period was 7.86 per 1,000 person-years. Significant demographic and occupational risk factors for OA included sex, age, race, service, and rank (p<0.001). Women experienced an adjusted incidence rate for OA that was nearly 20% higher than men (IRR=1.19, 95% CI=1.17, 1.21). Service members in the ≥40 age group experienced an adjusted incidence rate for OA that was approximately 19 times higher when compared to those in the <20 age category (IRR=18.61, 95% CI=17.57, 19.57). Black service members experienced significantly higher incidence rates of OA when compared to those in the white and other categories for race. Conclusion: Rates for OA were significantly higher in military populations when compared to comparable age groups in the general population.  Cameron KL, Hsiao MS, Owens BD, Burks R, Svoboda SJ. Arthritis Rheum. 2011 Jun 29.  [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21717422