Abstract
Overview
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) commissioned Bond University, Tactical Research Unit to quantify exposures that occur during the initial training of full-time Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and compare those findings with the exposure threshold levels set out in the Statements of Principles for osteoarthritis in the lower limb established by the Repatriation Medical Authority.
The study’s findings have supported the work undertaken by DVA to improve access to services, streamline the compensation claims process, and fast track access to treatment by lessening the need for some veterans to explain how their service has caused OLL when submitting claims to DVA.
Purpose and Background
The summary and technical reports comprising this document encapsulate the scope, methods, and findings for the Australian Defence Force (ADF; comprising the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Australian Navy, and Australian Regular Army) from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)-sponsored research project ARP1706 Measuring Occupational Exposures to Osteoarthritis in the Lower Limb (OLL) in Australian Defence Force (ADF) Job Categories. The project scope was limited to examining exposures that occur during the initial training of full-time ADF personnel and comparing these findings with the exposure threshold levels set out in the Statements of Principles (SoPs) for OLL established by the Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA).
Research Questions
The guiding research questions were:
•To what degree does initial training undertaken by ADF members meet the exposure thresholds for OLL set out by the RMA, including thresholds of exposure to joint trauma that may lead to OLL?
•To what extent do individual factors (e.g., body weight, sex, fitness, and age) affect the risk of military personnel developing OLL or their exposure to occupational risk factors for OLL, including joint trauma?
•How have exposures during initial training to factors that increase the risk of ADF personnel developing OLL changed over preceding decades?
Research Design
To answer these questions, the project encompassed six key elements:
1.a desktop analysis of purposively selected ADF initial training courses;
2.construction of a job exposure matrix (JEM) for OLL;
3.direct observations of training and surveys of trainees and staff to confirm, or examine, the types and extent of any variations in observation findings from findings of the desktop analysis in order to further inform the JEM-OLL;
4.an historical review of ADF initial training;
5.an analysis of osteoarthritis (OA) claims data 1994–2018; and
6.literature reviews, including an umbrella review of previous reviews, a critical review with meta-analysis, and additional reviews to examine the influences of specific factors on the risk of military personnel developing OLL or their exposure to occupational risk factors for OLL.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) commissioned Bond University, Tactical Research Unit to quantify exposures that occur during the initial training of full-time Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and compare those findings with the exposure threshold levels set out in the Statements of Principles for osteoarthritis in the lower limb established by the Repatriation Medical Authority.
The study’s findings have supported the work undertaken by DVA to improve access to services, streamline the compensation claims process, and fast track access to treatment by lessening the need for some veterans to explain how their service has caused OLL when submitting claims to DVA.
Purpose and Background
The summary and technical reports comprising this document encapsulate the scope, methods, and findings for the Australian Defence Force (ADF; comprising the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Australian Navy, and Australian Regular Army) from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)-sponsored research project ARP1706 Measuring Occupational Exposures to Osteoarthritis in the Lower Limb (OLL) in Australian Defence Force (ADF) Job Categories. The project scope was limited to examining exposures that occur during the initial training of full-time ADF personnel and comparing these findings with the exposure threshold levels set out in the Statements of Principles (SoPs) for OLL established by the Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA).
Research Questions
The guiding research questions were:
•To what degree does initial training undertaken by ADF members meet the exposure thresholds for OLL set out by the RMA, including thresholds of exposure to joint trauma that may lead to OLL?
•To what extent do individual factors (e.g., body weight, sex, fitness, and age) affect the risk of military personnel developing OLL or their exposure to occupational risk factors for OLL, including joint trauma?
•How have exposures during initial training to factors that increase the risk of ADF personnel developing OLL changed over preceding decades?
Research Design
To answer these questions, the project encompassed six key elements:
1.a desktop analysis of purposively selected ADF initial training courses;
2.construction of a job exposure matrix (JEM) for OLL;
3.direct observations of training and surveys of trainees and staff to confirm, or examine, the types and extent of any variations in observation findings from findings of the desktop analysis in order to further inform the JEM-OLL;
4.an historical review of ADF initial training;
5.an analysis of osteoarthritis (OA) claims data 1994–2018; and
6.literature reviews, including an umbrella review of previous reviews, a critical review with meta-analysis, and additional reviews to examine the influences of specific factors on the risk of military personnel developing OLL or their exposure to occupational risk factors for OLL.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Department of Veterans’ Affairs |
| Commissioning body | Department of Veteran’s Affairs |
| Number of pages | 249 |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |