Service-Connected Disability and the Veteran Mortality Disadvantage. Issue 3 (July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Landes, Scott D.; London, Andrew S.; Wilmoth, Janet M.
• Is Part Of: Armed forces and society. Volume 47:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 457
• Page End: 479
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Subjects: veterans -- mortality -- service-connected disability -- socioeconomic status -- health -- functional limitation; Sociology, Military -- Periodicals; Sociology, Military -- United States -- Periodicals; Armed Forces -- Periodicals; United States -- Armed Forces -- Periodicals; 306.27
• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X19884721
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0095-327X

Abstract

Research consistently reports a veteran mortality disadvantage relative to nonveterans, but has not considered the contribution of service-connected disability to this differential. We use data from the 1986 and 1989 National Health Interview Survey-2011 Linked Mortality Files ( N = 124, 122) to estimate multivariate Cox regression models of the association between veteran status and mortality, taking service-connected disability status into account. Bivariate analyses demonstrate higher mortality risk, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer health and functioning among veterans with a service-connected disability than among nonveterans and veterans without a service-connected disability. Multivariate models confirm a mortality disadvantage for all veteran service-connected disability subgroups, which is reduced by the inclusion of exogenous sociodemographic variables and substantially mediated by the health/functional limitation status measures. Results indicate that service-connected disability status accounts for some variation in, and may have a cumulative effect on, the veteran mortality disadvantage. When possible, future research should account for service-connected disability status when studying veteran–nonveteran mortality differentials.