Linking Exposure and Health Outcomes to a Large Population-based Longitudinal Study: The Millennium Cohort Study.

摘要

Objective: Describe current and future potential for understanding long-term health of military service members by linking the Millennium Cohort Study to exposures and health outcomes. Methods: The Millennium Cohort Study launched in 2001, prior to September 11 and the start of deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. Other substantial Department of Defense (DoD) health, personnel, and exposure databases are maintained in electronic databases and may be linked by personal identifiers. Results: More than 150,000 consenting members comprise the Millennium Cohort from all services, including active duty, Reserve, and National Guard, and represent demographic, occupational, military, and health characteristics of the U.S. military. These prospective data offer symptom assessment, behavioral health, and self-reported exposures that may complement and fill gaps in capability presented by other DoD electronic health and exposure data. Conclusions: In conjunction with Millennium Cohort survey data, prospective individual-level exposure and health outcome assessment is crucial to understanding and quantifying any long-term health outcomes potentially associated with unique military occupational exposures.