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Early-Life War Exposure and Later-Life Chronic Pain in Vietnam: Risk, Resilience, and Timing
Rui Huang1, Yuhang Li2, Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk1
1University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|January 8, 2026
Summary
Early-life war exposure significantly increases later-life chronic pain risk. This risk is mainly due to increased physical and mental health issues, with wartime children being most vulnerable.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Life course theories posit that early-life experiences, including war, influence adult health via risk and resilience pathways.
- These pathways may differ based on the age at which individuals experience traumatic events.
- Understanding these long-term health impacts is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between early-life war experiences and later-life chronic pain in older adults.
- To identify war-related risk and protective factors influencing chronic pain.
- To examine how age at exposure to war impacts these associations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2018 Vietnam Health and Aging Study (N=1,826) comprising older adults.
- Employed regression models to analyze the relationship between war exposure and chronic pain.
- Conducted mediation analyses (Karlson, Holm, and Breen) to explore underlying mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Vietnam War exposure was significantly associated with an increased risk of later-life chronic pain.
- War generated both risk factors and protective factors (e.g., social engagement).
- Mediation analyses indicated that physical and mental health problems were primary drivers of the war-pain association. Wartime children showed higher vulnerability.
Conclusions:
- Early-life war exposure poses a significant risk for chronic pain in later life, primarily through mediating health problems.
- The age at which war exposure occurs is a critical factor, with childhood exposure conferring greater vulnerability.
- Findings underscore the long-term health consequences of war trauma and the importance of considering age at exposure in life course research.
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