The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65873

Aaron I. Schneiderman, PhD, RN¹, Han K Kang, DrPH¹, Han K Kang, DrPH¹, Barbara A. Curbow, PhD², Mitchell T. Wallin, MD, MPH¹, Michelle Kennedy Prisco, ANP¹, and Andrew E Lincoln, ScD, MS¹. (1) War-Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 50 Irving Street, NW (MS 11), Washington, DC 20422, 202-745-8000 X6236, aaron.schneiderman@med.va.gov, (2) Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health, 624 N Broadway 7th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205

Background: The deployment of military personnel to theaters of combat operations may result in a myriad of environmental exposures and heightened concerns regarding the potential risks of subsequent injury or illness. Risk communication (RC) efforts that engage combat veterans may help to allay fears regarding potential health outcomes associated with environmental exposures or prophylactic medical interventions.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study uses a self-administered questionnaire to collect data on the following baseline measures: self-reported health status, deployment-related health counter-measures, combat theater environmental exposures, informational needs, and preferred channels for health risk communications. A stratified sample of 5000 combat veterans will be drawn from rosters of Vietnam veterans, Gulf War veterans, and Bosnia-Kosovo veterans, with over-sampling for military reservists and females to ensure a representative sample. Analyses will be conducted in which regionally defined sub-groups will be assessed for expressed differences in the preferred content and methods desired for RC.

Results: The presentation of these preliminary findings will describe exposure concerns, health symptoms, reported illnesses, experience with previous risk communication efforts, and preferences for future RC efforts among deployed military personnel. The findings of this study will inform the development of a risk communication strategy that will guide future RC efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Furthermore, these study results will provide the Department of Veterans Affairs with the necessary information to make sound post-deployment health protection decisions.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:
• 1. List important environmental exposure concerns for the deployed veterans of three conflicts (e.g., Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and the Bosnia /Kosovo peacekeeping operation).
• 2. Describe similarities and differences between deployed veterans’ risk communication preferences based on their military conflict and demographic characteristics.
• 3. Understand the methodology used to conduct a population-based risk communication needs assessment in a large and geographically dispersed population.

Keywords: Risk Communication, Veterans

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.