A Supplemental Women's Health Questionnaire for Women Veterans With Military Environmental Exposures: Project...

Area of Science:

• Military medicine
• Women's health
• Environmental health

Background:

• Increasing numbers of women in the armed forces and a growing population of women veterans.
• Existing research on military environmental exposures (MEEs) primarily focuses on men's health outcomes.
• The Women's Operational Military Exposure Network Center of Excellence (WOMEN CoE) developed the Women's Health Addendum (WHA) to address women-specific healthcare needs related to MEEs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a comprehensive health questionnaire for women veterans.
• To characterize the health conditions of women veterans seeking care for MEE-related concerns.
• To inform clinic policies and develop targeted programs for women veterans' health.

Main Methods:

• The WHA was developed iteratively using literature review, veteran and clinician feedback, and clinical expertise.
• The questionnaire includes 81 questions across 7 categories, covering health conditions throughout the lifespan.
• Implementation occurred in two phases across multiple War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) sites.

Main Results:

• 63 women participated in the program evaluation.
• Approximately 97% of participants reported at least one health condition, and 87% reported three or more.
• The most prevalent conditions included sexual dysfunction (70%), urinary incontinence (59%), pelvic floor dysfunction (52%), and pregnancy loss (44%).

Conclusions:

• Findings underscore the need for specialized women's health services for veterans with MEE concerns.
• Fertility and MEEs experienced during deployments are significant concerns for women veterans.
• Future steps include real-time WHA administration at more sites and expanding the distribution network to further evaluate MEEs and women's health.