Characterizing the Impact of the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination on Military Families: A Mixed Methods Study

Between 1953 and 1987, the ground water at Marine Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was contaminated. Service members and their families living at the camp were exposed to volatile organic compounds which have been linked to several health conditions. Legislation offers reimbursement to families of service members who lived at the camp and were diagnosed with conditions related to the toxicants.

A sample of service members based at Camp Lejeune between 1975 and 1985 were surveyed and interviewed to characterize their family members' experiences with exposure-related health conditions. The survey was online, voluntary, and cross-sectional; semistructured interviews were conducted by telephone.

A total of 1,073 surveys and 22 semistructured interviews were completed. Of the 12% who reported having a spouse on base and provided a response, 33% reported that their spouse developed an exposure-related health condition. Of the 14% who reported having a child on base, 28% reported that their child(ren) developed an exposure-related condition. The most frequently reported conditions for spouses and dependents included miscarriage and neurobehavioral effects (20.4%, 9.9%, 7.1%, and 13.0%), respectively). Qualitative data revealed that the grief of losing loved ones and coping with illnesses compounded with the financial burden of these conditions were stressors for family members.

Service members reported that the Camp Lejeune contamination negatively impacted their family members as some developed exposure-related conditions leading to experiencing psychological and financial distress. Further research directly with family members is needed to determine the extent to which they were affected by these exposures.