Environmental Exposure and Health of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans

Objective: We characterized the prevalence of self-reported environmental exposures, concerns about exposures, and their relationships with somatic symptoms in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) (OIF) veterans seeking treatment at a specialty Veterans A...

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Veröffentlicht in:Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 2012-06, Vol.54 (6), p.665-669
Hauptverfasser: McAndrew, Lisa M., Teichman, Ron F., Osinubi, Omowunmi Y., Jasien, Jessica V., Quigley, Karen S.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Objective: We characterized the prevalence of self-reported environmental exposures, concerns about exposures, and their relationships with somatic symptoms in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) (OIF) veterans seeking treatment at a specialty Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic. Concerns about environmental exposures were expected to lead to more reporting of somatic symptom burden. Methods: We conducted a chart review of 469 OEF/OIF veterans seen at a VA tertiary care clinic. Results: OEF/OIF veterans reported a high level of environmental exposures and concerns about environmental exposures. Greater reported environmental exposures (β = 0.13) and environmental exposure concerns (β = 0.39) were associated with a greater somatic symptom burden. Exposure concerns accounted for some of the relationship of exposures on somatic symptom burden (confidence interval, 0.33-0.60). Conclusions: OEF/OIF veterans seeking treatment at a VA clinic reported a high prevalence of environmental exposures and exposure concerns. Both negatively impacted health outcomes.
ISSN:1076-2752
1536-5948
DOI:10.1097/JOM.0b013e318255ba1b