Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108301

Deborah J. Del Junco, PhD¹, Sharon P. Coan, MS², Jasmin A. Tiro, MPH², Catherine A. Perz, PhD³, Lori Bastian, MD, MPH⁴, William Rakowski, PhD⁵, David R. Lairson, PhD², Wenyaw Chan, PhD², and Sally W. Vernon, PhD². (1) School of Rural Public Health/Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, 3000 Briarcrest Dr., Suite 312B, Bryan, TX 77802, (979) 845-5425, djdeljunco@srph.tamushsc.edu, (2) School of Public Health/Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin, 25th Floor, Houston, TX 77030, (3) School of Arts and Sciences, University of Houston-Victoria, 3007 N. Ben Wilson, Victoria, TX 77901, (4) Women Veterans Center, VAMC Durham, 508 Fulton Street, HSR&D, Bldg. 16, Rm. 72, Durham, NC 27705, (5) Department of Community Health, Brown University, 97 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02912

We assessed the research value of the NRWV as a sampling frame for Project H.O.M.E., an effectiveness trial to promote regular mammography screening in a national sample of women veterans over 52 years of age. The first author (DdJ) developed the computerized NRWV with VA funding to stimulate beneficial health research for this unique, well-defined occupational cohort. The presentation of results follows the CONSORT criteria for reporting randomized controlled trials. The NRWV combined data from the DoD and VA into a basic set of identifying variables. It contains records on 1.4 of an estimated 1.8 million women veterans separated from active duty 1942-1997. To obtain current vital status and contact information, we cross-linked the NRWV with the Social Security Death Index, IRS, and Experian databases. Excluding known decedents and untraceables, we mailed screening eligibility surveys to 16,341 of 21,449 randomly sampled NRWV registrants. Excluding ineligibles, we randomized 14,093 respondents and non-respondents to 5 study groups: 2 intervention and 3 control groups. At final count, Project H.O.M.E. had 6,658 participants, 1,766 refusals, 1,108 non-respondents, 1,131 untraceables, and 3,430 ineligibles due to death, male sex, young age, non-veteran status, past history of breast cancer, or physical/mental disability. We present detailed sampling and recruitment flow diagrams and findings from univariate, stratified and logistic regression analyses of study group equivalence.The NRWV offers access to an important, traditionally underserved occupational cohort for epidemiologic, health services, and health promotion research. Some NRWV-based research (especially surveys of an older subset of women veterans) may require over-sampling.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the National Registry of Women Veterans (NRWV).
• List 3 types of ineligible study candidates.

Keywords: Registry, Occupational Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.