Exploring Health Outcomes for U.S. Veterans Compared to Non-Veterans from 2003 to 2019.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Military Health

Background:

• Increased physical demands on U.S. service members due to frequent, prolonged, and intense overseas deployments.
• Potential for elevated risk of debilitating health conditions among military personnel.
• Need to compare health outcomes of U.S. Veterans against non-Veterans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine and compare self-reported health outcomes between U.S. Veterans and non-Veterans.
• To analyze trends in 10 specific morbidities from 2003 to 2019.
• To identify explanatory variables associated with these morbidities in 2019.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) dataset.
• Analyzed yearly age-adjusted, population estimates (2003-2019) using complex survey weights.
• Employed General Linear Models (GLMs) with 2019 data to assess explanatory variables.

Main Results:

• Veterans exhibited disproportionately higher self-reported rates for most morbidities, excluding mental health and heart disease.
• Time series analysis indicated higher rates across all conditions for Veterans, except mental health.
• GLM analysis confirmed higher self-reported morbidity rates among Veterans, with mental health as the exception.

Conclusions:

• The health status of the average U.S. Veteran appears to be poor, with higher self-reported rates of multiple chronic conditions.
• Findings suggest a need for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop targeted health interventions.
• Interventions should aim to improve the overall health and well-being of the Veteran population.