A Social Ecological Model for Military Women's Health

U.S. military women's health (MWH) is influenced by unique life experiences while serving in combat and combat support roles in the armed forces. Daily accomplishment of the military mission exposes women to occupational, physical, and psychosocial factors that affect their health status. Here, we present the theoretical framework for a social ecological model (SEM) for MWH. By synthesizing the common elements of various SEMs for health, we describe the layers in the military social ecological system that are typical of the milieu of servicewomen. With the individual's knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, and physiology at the center of the model, relevant components of the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem are identified. Support for the SEM-MWH can be found in all layers of the social ecological system. Distinguishing factors of the SEM-MWH include characteristics of the military environment, community, health care system, regulations and policies, and the military culture in which women live and work. Servicewomen's life experiences in the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem occur in a nested, interactive system that affects their health behaviors and their health status. The social ecological system of servicewomen is unique and must be fully explored and appreciated to ensure the health of women who serve. Investigation of the effects of policies throughout all layers of the SEM-MWH on the individual servicewoman is warranted.