Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Infection and Hospitalization in the Active Component US Military.

Publisher: American Public Health Association Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 1254074 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1541-0048 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00900036 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Washington, DC : American Public Health Association
Original Publication: New York [etc.]

COVID-19/*ethnology ; Hospitalization/*statistics & numerical data ; Military Personnel/*statistics & numerical data; Adult ; COVID-19 Testing ; Female ; Health Status Disparities ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Sociodemographic Factors ; United States/epidemiology ; Young Adult

Objectives. To assess COVID-19 disparities in the active component US military with an emphasis on race and ethnicity. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, we calculated the incidence of COVID-19 testing, infection, and hospitalization in the active component US military in calendar year 2020. Results. Overall, 61.3 per 100 population per year were tested for COVID-19, 10.4% of tests were positive, and 1.1% of infected individuals were hospitalized. Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics had a rate of testing for COVID-19 similar to that of Whites but had a higher risk of infection (adjusted risk ratio [ARR] = 1.25 and 1.26, respectively) and hospitalization (ARR = 1.28 and 1.21, respectively). Conclusions. Although of lower magnitude than seen in civilian populations, racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations exist in the US military despite universal eligibility for health care, similar rate of testing, and adjustment for comorbidities and other factors. Simply making health care coverage available may be insufficient to ensure health equity. Interventions to mitigate disparities in the US military should target the patient, provider, health care system, and society at large. ( Am J Public Health . 2021;111(12):2194-2201. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306527).

Comment in: Am J Public Health. 2021 Dec;111(12):2089-2090. (PMID: 34878876)

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Date Created: 20211208 Date Completed: 20211220 Latest Revision: 20231202

20231202

PMC8667833

10.2105/AJPH.2021.306527

34878873