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Mortality

Reduced Risks of Mortality and Hospitalization in Italian Veterans Deployed to the Balkans

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A long-term retrospective study conducted by the National Institute of Health in Italy aimed to investigate the health risks of Italian veterans deployed to the Balkans between 1995 and 2004. The SEBAL cohort, consisting of 71,144 soldiers, was compared to the Italian population and a military cohort never deployed abroad. The study found that the SEBAL cohort showed a lower risk of death and hospitalization than both control populations for all natural causes, infectious, endocrine, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and genitourinary diseases. The only exception was a significantly higher hospitalization risk for musculoskeletal diseases. Reduced risks of hospitalization and death were also found for all cancers, head and neck, respiratory, and digestive cancers. Marginally increased hospitalization risks were observed for thyroid cancer and skin melanoma, but no effect on mortality was noted.

Key Takeaways:

  • The SEBAL cohort, consisting of 71,144 soldiers, showed a lower risk of death and hospitalization than both control populations for all natural causes (SMR = 0.40 and SHR = 0.80 vs. IP; SMR = 0.72 and SHR = 0.80 vs. Carabinieri).
  • Reduced risks of hospitalization and death were found for all cancers (SHR = 0.82 and SMR = 0.56 vs. IP; SHR = 0.91 and SMR = 0.78 vs. Carabinieri).
  • Marginally increased hospitalization risks vs. IP were observed for thyroid cancer (+39%) and skin melanoma (+32%).
  • No increased risk for hematological neoplasms, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, was found.
  • The study found no support for specific long-term risks of mortality or hospitalization linked to peacekeeping missions to the Balkans.
  • Silvia Rossi of the National Institute of Health led the research, with additional authors including Roberta De Angelis, Marcella Bugani, Alberto Autore, Marco Lastilla, Raffaele Vento, Anna Rocchetti, Stefano Guzzinati, Massimo Vicentini, Valerio Manno, Lorenzo Spizzichino, Serena Battilomo, Simona Belmonte, Mauro Biffoni, and Alfonso Piciocc.
  • The study was published in Frontiers in Public Health, a journal of Frontiers Media SA.

Statistics:

  • The SEBAL cohort consisted of 71,144 soldiers.
  • The study used individual linkage with national health data to evaluate long-term mortality and hospitalization risks in the SEBAL cohort.
  • The study found reduced risks of hospitalization and death for all cancers (SHR = 0.82 and SMR = 0.56 vs. IP; SHR = 0.91 and SMR = 0.78 vs. Carabinieri).
  • Marginally increased hospitalization risks vs. IP were observed for thyroid cancer (+39%) and skin melanoma (+32%).
  • No increased risk for hematological neoplasms, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, was found.

Sources:

  • Long-term mortality and hospitalisation among Italian veterans deployed to the Balkans: a retrospective longitudinal study based on individual linkage with national health data. Frontiers in Public Health, 2025;13:1605457.
  • Study Results from National Institute of Health in the Area of Military Medicine Reported (Long-term mortality and hospitalisation among Italian veterans deployed to the Balkans: a retrospective longitudinal study based on individual linkage ...). Cancer Weekly. October 21, 2025; p 251.

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