Health-Related Quality of Life Among US Veterans and Civilians by Race and Ethnicity

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Luncheon, Cecily ; Zack, Matthew
• Description:
  Introduction
  
  Among veterans, having been selected into the military and having easy access to medical care during and after military service may reduce premature mortality but not morbidity from mental distress and may not improve health-related quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine whether veterans in different racial/ethnic groups differ in their health-related quality of life from each other and from their civilian counterparts.
  
  Methods
  
  Among 800,000 respondents to the 2007–2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys, approximately 110,000 identified themselves as veterans and answered questions about their sociodemographic characteristics, self-rated health, and recent health-related quality of life. Nonoverlapping 95% confidence intervals of means distinguished veterans and civilians of different racial/ethnic groups.
  
  Results
  
  Veteran and civilian American Indians/Alaska Natives reported more physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, and recent activity limitation days than their veteran and civilian counterparts in other racial/ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic white veterans and Hispanic veterans reported more physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, and recent activity limitation days than their civilian counterparts.
  
  Conclusion
  
  Unlike findings in other studies, our findings show that veterans’ health-related quality of life differs from that of civilians both within the same racial/ethnic group and among different racial/ethnic groups. Because once-healthy soldiers may not be as healthy when they return to civilian life, assessing their health-related quality of life over time may identify those who need help to regain their health.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Adult Aged Confidence Intervals Ethnicity Female Health Behavior Health Services Accessibility Health Status Indicators Humans Life Change Events Male Marital Status Middle Aged Quality-Adjusted Life Years Quality Of Life Questionnaires Social Class Veterans

  More +
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 9.
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Name as Subject:
  Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  9
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4fba821aa39f752ce5e36efc3adf1f6617c61a882d2d252e36a695b579f71d8c970e558006e2f552f92116cca7e8cfecd2fe91d866110d6ef7a09e7bd869a85a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11069/cdc_11069_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 211.67 KB ]