engleski

HEALTH COMPLAINTS AMONG COMBAT EXPOSED MEDICAL STAFF

Objective: Numerous studies demonstrate a probability relation between stressful life events and development of illness. The aim of this study was assessment of the incidence of health complaints among medical staft with or without history of combat exposure. Me/hod: One-page questionnaire was administrated to two groups of participants. First group (N 50) were members of front-line medical combat teams during Croatian War (1991-1995). Second group (N 50) consisted of health staft members without history of combat exposure. The sample population of staff studied was considered fairly typical of the field in general. Participants with pre-war history of somatic or mental illness were excluded. Resulls: Questioners was statistically analyzed. In comparison with combat nonexposed group. Combat exposed health staff reported a significantly higher incidence of health complaints that included feelings of anxiety, cognitive dysfunction's, palpitation, chest pain, chronic fatigue, dyspepsia and dermatitis. Conclusion: A survey of this kind represents an lnltial examination of the incidenee rate of health complaints among medical staff with history of combat exposure. Overwhelmed person's adaptive capabilities may cause a breakdown in resistance to illness and could be precipitating factor of the onset of illnesses. Prospective follow-up study should be perlormed in population with higher risk facto rs. This finding provide further support for the theory that psychological response to stressors could have impact on health outcome. Assessment demonstrated increased number of health complaints in combat exposed group of health statt than the ones which were not deployed to the front line.

Health; combat; complaints

nije evidentirano