Health risk behaviors and quality of life among recent veterans and implications for VA health care

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Context: The US Armed Forces are experiencing a greatly increased operational tempo due to ongoing military actions around the world. The effects of service members' service component (active or reserve) on post-deployment health risk behaviors and quality of life have not been well characterized. Objective: To compare post-deployment health risk behaviors and health-related quality of life (QOL) among active and reserve component veterans of ongoing military actions. Design: Cross-sectional study based on secondary analysis of data from VA's outpatient Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (SHEP). Setting: Survey mailed monthly to a stratified random sample of veterans who received outpatient care at VA facilities in FY2005. Participants: Outpatients with confirmed deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (n=7,156). Measures: Demographic patient characteristics, AUDIT -C (alcohol use), smoking status, estimated BMI, SF-12 MCS (mental) and PCS (physical) QOL scales. Results: In unadjusted analyses, active component members were more likely to report binge drinking (p=0.008), healthy BMI (p< 0.001) or obese BMI (p=0.04). These differences disappeared after adjusting for covariates. In adjusted analyses, reserve component members were more likely to report a lifetime history of smoking > 100 cigarettes (p=0.02). Adjusted mean BMI (p=0.03) and SF-12 MCS (p=0.007) were slightly higher for active component members. Conclusions: Service category was not associated with post-deployment health risk behaviors after controlling for demographic covariates. Statistically significant differences in BMI and mental well-being were small and not clinically meaningful. Health risk behaviors are highly prevalent in this post-deployment population, and mental and physical well-being scores are below national means.

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