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

Overview

Journal J Occup Environ Med

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2012 Jun 12

PMID 22684317

Citations 13

Authors

Lisa M McAndrew

Ron F Teichman

Omowunmi Y Osinubi

Jessica V Jasien

Karen S Quigley

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

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.

Citing Articles

Institutional Courage in Healthcare: An Improvement Project Exploring the Perspectives of Veterans Exposed to Airborne Hazards.

Bloeser K, McAdams M, McCarron K, Varon S, Pickett L, Johnson I Behav Sci (Basel). 2023; 13(5).

PMID: 37232660 PMC: 10215171. DOI: 10.3390/bs13050423.

Postdeployment Respiratory Health: The Roles of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry and the Post-Deployment Cardiopulmonary Evaluation Network.

Davis C, Rabin A, Jani N, Osterholzer J, Krefft S, Hines S Fed Pract. 2022; 39(8):337-343.

PMID: 36425809 PMC: 9652027. DOI: 10.12788/fp.0307.

Comparison of the functional health limitations of Iraq or Afghanistan Veterans to Desert Shield/Storm Veterans with chronic fatigue syndrome.

McAndrew L, Chandler H, Serrador J, Quigley K, Natelson B, Lange G Mil Behav Health. 2021; 4(3):299-306.

PMID: 33898110 PMC: 8063916. DOI: 10.1080/21635781.2016.1175980.

Mutual maintenance of PTSD and physical symptoms for Veterans returning from deployment.

McAndrew L, Lu S, Phillips L, Maestro K, Quigley K Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2019; 10(1):1608717.

PMID: 31164966 PMC: 6534228. DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1608717.

Deployment-Related Lung Disorders.

Krefft S, Rose C, Nawaz S, Miller Y Fed Pract. 2019; 32(Suppl 10):24S-31S.

PMID: 30766097 PMC: 6375481.