By the Numbers - 15 November 2021

By the Numbers - 15 November 2021

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261.1 out of 10,000

The number of chronic pain diagnoses per 10,000 "person-years" in the Military Health System (MHS) in 2018, according to an article in the MHS publication Medical Surveillance Monthly Report -- Characterizing the contribution of chronic pain diagnoses to the neurologic burden of disease, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2009-2018. This represents a significant increase, from 85.5 per 10,000 person-years in 2009.

Subgroup analysis by demographic characteristics demonstrated that female, non-Hispanic black, older, and enlisted personnel were at increased risk for chronic pain diagnoses. Among the branches of service, members of the Army were at the highest risk of a chronic pain diagnosis with a rate ratio of 4.8 compared to the Navy, the branch with the lowest risk.