Deployment Health in Regular Military Women
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Hospital, Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology, Other |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 60 |
| Updated: | 1/3/2018 |
| Start Date: | April 2009 |
| End Date: | January 2013 |
Combat, Sexual Assault and Post-Traumatic Stress in OIF/OEF Military Women
The purpose of this study is to determine potential risk factors for physical and sexual
assault in regular military women (as opposed to Reserve and National Guard). In addition,
this study seeks to determine associations between service women's violence exposures and:
current physical and mental health status (e.g. PTSD), and access to and use of DoD, DVA and
civilian healthcare.
assault in regular military women (as opposed to Reserve and National Guard). In addition,
this study seeks to determine associations between service women's violence exposures and:
current physical and mental health status (e.g. PTSD), and access to and use of DoD, DVA and
civilian healthcare.
Background: The proposed study of Regular Military service women builds on and extends a
funded VA HSR&D grant currently investigating similar objectives in Reserves and National
Guard (R/NG) service women. This proposed study addresses the radically changing DoD and DVA
health care delivery needs of two priority populations: women exposed to combat, and women
sexually assaulted during military. There is a limited understanding of the complex
relationship between these traumatic exposures and women's health outcomes, such as
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and with their
subsequent health service use or barriers to care.
Objectives: The objectives are: 1) To identify and describe organizational, situational, and
individual risk factors for physical and sexual assault (i.e., victimization) in women who
have served or are currently serving in the Regular Military in Operation Enduring Freedom
and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) by deployment status (those who are deployed to combat
related regions once, those deployed more than once, those serving in non-combat related
areas outside of the continental United States (US), or those serving within the continental
US. 2) To determine associations between PTSD, TBI, and physical and sexual assault during
OEF/OIF with current physical and mental health status and health risk behaviors by
deployment status. 3) To identify current internal and external barriers to DoD, DVA, and
civilian health services in relationship to women's deployment and victimization status and
the association between PTSD and TBI; 4) To identify and describe differences between Regular
Military and R/NG populations for each of these objectives.
Methods: We propose a cross sectional study design with two sequential phases. Phase 1 would
include focus groups to refine the current study interview specific to Regular Military
populations. Phase 2 would involve the identification and successful interviewing of 669
Regular Military service women, using random sampling with stratification by deployment
status, state of service accession, and service branch. Building on our current study, women
will be selected from five states: Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Potential
study participants will be mailed an information summary and asked to take part in a study
assessing the deployment health of military women. 1058 women will be contacted to obtain the
target of 669 completed interviews. Consenting participants (167 per deployment group) will
complete a telephone interview that assesses socio-demographic variables, trauma exposures,
health history, current health status, military environmental factors (organizational and
situational factors), military and DVA health care and barriers to this care, and self
reported service use. Descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis will be
used.
Implications: It is unclear if the needs of military women are met by current
combat-associated PTSD treatments originally based on male populations. It is anticipated
that our findings will improve understanding of the health risks and outcomes of deployed
Regular Military service women in contrast to women serving in the R/NG (with PTSD and TBI as
key outcome variables). Our results consequently will have implications for DoD and DVA
evidence based interventions for both primary prevention and care.
funded VA HSR&D grant currently investigating similar objectives in Reserves and National
Guard (R/NG) service women. This proposed study addresses the radically changing DoD and DVA
health care delivery needs of two priority populations: women exposed to combat, and women
sexually assaulted during military. There is a limited understanding of the complex
relationship between these traumatic exposures and women's health outcomes, such as
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and with their
subsequent health service use or barriers to care.
Objectives: The objectives are: 1) To identify and describe organizational, situational, and
individual risk factors for physical and sexual assault (i.e., victimization) in women who
have served or are currently serving in the Regular Military in Operation Enduring Freedom
and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) by deployment status (those who are deployed to combat
related regions once, those deployed more than once, those serving in non-combat related
areas outside of the continental United States (US), or those serving within the continental
US. 2) To determine associations between PTSD, TBI, and physical and sexual assault during
OEF/OIF with current physical and mental health status and health risk behaviors by
deployment status. 3) To identify current internal and external barriers to DoD, DVA, and
civilian health services in relationship to women's deployment and victimization status and
the association between PTSD and TBI; 4) To identify and describe differences between Regular
Military and R/NG populations for each of these objectives.
Methods: We propose a cross sectional study design with two sequential phases. Phase 1 would
include focus groups to refine the current study interview specific to Regular Military
populations. Phase 2 would involve the identification and successful interviewing of 669
Regular Military service women, using random sampling with stratification by deployment
status, state of service accession, and service branch. Building on our current study, women
will be selected from five states: Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Potential
study participants will be mailed an information summary and asked to take part in a study
assessing the deployment health of military women. 1058 women will be contacted to obtain the
target of 669 completed interviews. Consenting participants (167 per deployment group) will
complete a telephone interview that assesses socio-demographic variables, trauma exposures,
health history, current health status, military environmental factors (organizational and
situational factors), military and DVA health care and barriers to this care, and self
reported service use. Descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis will be
used.
Implications: It is unclear if the needs of military women are met by current
combat-associated PTSD treatments originally based on male populations. It is anticipated
that our findings will improve understanding of the health risks and outcomes of deployed
Regular Military service women in contrast to women serving in the R/NG (with PTSD and TBI as
key outcome variables). Our results consequently will have implications for DoD and DVA
evidence based interventions for both primary prevention and care.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Focus Group:
- Men or women who have or are currently active duty regular military (RM) of
OIF/OEF service eras (10/7/01- present)
- Interview phase:
- Women, who have or are currently serving active duty RM during OIF/OEF service
eras
Exclusion Criteria:
- Focus Group:
- Disabilities that render incapable of hearing
- Comprehending
- Communicating in a group or inhibit travel to focus group
- Interview phase:
- Disabilities that render incapable of hearing
- Comprehending
- Communicating independently with interviewers by telephone
- Not having telephone and unable to access a nearby VA or other possible resource
to contact toll free number.
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