Mortality and morbidity selection effects among US veterans.

Previous studies have documented a substantially lower mortality rate among US male veterans, a form of the "healthy worker" effect, but there have been no studies of morbidity selection effects among veterans. In this paper the evidence for mortality selection effects among US male veterans is reviewed, and data from two general health surveys are examined for evidence of a morbidity selection effect. Overall, there are no substantial differences in health characteristics between veterans and nonveterans, thus providing no evidence for a morbidity selection effect; the inclusion of military service-connected disabled veterans in this comparison, however, makes it somewhat problematic. Reconciliation of a clear mortality selection effect for veterans with the lack of evidence for a corresponding morbidity selection effect is attempted.