THE IMPACT OF MILITARY STRESS EXPOSURES ON HEALTH AND FUNCTIONING IN VIETNAM-ERA WOMEN VETERANS. (11th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, B N; Spiro, A; Magruder, K M
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 2(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 384
• Page End: 384
• Publication Date: 2018-11-11
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.1428
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: Trauma exposure and its mental health sequelae can have negative implications for health outcomes. However, these associations are understudied in older adults and especially among older women. We examined the impact of exposures during military service on later life functioning and disability in a cohort of older women veterans using data from The Health of Vietnam-Era Women's Study (HealthVIEWS). 4219 women veterans (Mage=68) who were active duty during the Vietnam era stationed either in Vietnam (N=1956), near Vietnam (N=657), or in the U.S. (N=1606) completed both a mail survey and a computer assisted telephone interview. Wartime exposures were assessed using the Women's War-Zone Stressor Scale-revised (WWSS-R); other lifetime exposures and mental health (i.e., PTSD, major depressive disorder [MDD], and generalized anxiety disorder [GAD]) were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Physical health-related quality of life (HQL) was assessed using the VR-36, and disability was assessed using the WHODAS 2.0. Regression analyses examined associations in models adjusting for age, ethnicity, marital status, education, military branch and occupation. Several salient exposures—including wartime location and specific experiences (i.e., sexual discrimination and harassment)—were associated with worse health outcomes. These associations held when controlling for mental health. Current PTSD was strongly linked with lower HQL and greater disability, and both current and former MDD and GAD were associated with greater disability. These findings highlight the importance of examining the impact of wartime exposures on health and functioning across the life course in this important and understudied population of women who served.