Symptoms in Gulf War Veterans: 5-Year Follow-Up
Author Information
Author(s): Ozakinci Gozde, Hallman William K., Kipen Howard M.
Primary Institution: Bute Medical School, University of St. Andrews
Hypothesis
The symptom reporting would remain relatively constant over the 5-year frame and that the highly symptomatic cluster would show a greater tendency toward decline in their health status.
Conclusion
The symptom outbreak following the 1991 Gulf War has not abated over time in registry veterans.
Supporting Evidence
- 390 veterans were assessed for changes in symptoms over a 5-year period.
- Those initially more symptomatic in 1995 showed some improvement but remained more symptomatic than those with lesser initial symptoms.
- Statistical analyses revealed no significant changes in symptom number or severity for the cohort as a whole.
Takeaway
Veterans from the Gulf War still feel sick many years later, and their symptoms haven't really gotten better.
Methodology
Mailed symptom survey questionnaires were assessed for changes in symptom number and severity over a 5-year interval.
Potential Biases
Self-report items are subject to bias, and interpreting symptoms without explanatory diagnoses is challenging.
Limitations
The veterans studied were taken from a registry and may not be completely representative of all deployed soldiers.
Participant Demographics
{"sex":{"male":364,"female":26},"military_branch":{"Army":267,"Air Force":35,"Marines":64,"Navy":24},"education":{"high_school":108,"college":231,"graduate_school":51},"duty":{"active_duty":227,"national_guard":72,"reserves":91},"race":{"white":324,"black":66},"marital_status":{"married":217,"divorced":19,"separated":13,"single_never_married":132,"not_married_living_with_mate":9},"rank":{"enlisted":183,"NCO":157,"warrant_officer":8,"commissioned_officer":42},"smoker":{"never_smoked":178,"former_smoker":111,"current_smoker":101}}
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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