VA Begins Long-Term Study Of OEF and OIF Veterans
VA Launches 10-Year Health Study of 60,000 New Veterans
WASHINGTON --
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has initiated a large, long-term
study to look carefully at a broad array of health issues that may affect
Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans
and their counterparts who served during the same time period.
VA's "National Health Study for a New Generation of U.S. Veterans"
will begin with 30,000 Veterans deployed to OEF/OIF and 30,000 comparison
Veterans who were not deployed.
"This study will help us fulfill President Obama's pledge to 'stand
with our Veterans as they face new challenges' by
enabling us to understand the health problems of our newest generation
of combat Veterans," Dr. Gerald M. Cross,
VA's acting under secretary for health, said. "The study's findings
will help us plan more effectively to provide the best care possible
for these deserving Veterans."
The study will include Veterans who served in each branch of service,
representing active duty, Reserve, and
National Guard members.
Women will be over-sampled to make sure they are represented and will
comprise 20 percent of the study, or 12,000 women.
A combination of mail surveys, online surveys, telephone interviews,
and in-person physical evaluations will be used
to collect data
from the Veterans.
The study will compare the deployed and non-deployed Veterans in terms
of chronic medical conditions,
traumatic brain injury (TBI), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
and other psychological conditions,
general health perceptions, reproductive health, pregnancy outcomes,
functional status, use of health care,
behavioral risk factors (smoking, drinking, seatbelt use, speeding,
motorcycle helmet use, and sexual behavior),
and VA disability compensation.
VA has contracted with an independent Veteran-owned research firm, HMS
Technologies Inc., to collect the data.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for providing federal
benefits to Veterans and their families.
VA is the second largest
of the 15 cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health
care, financial assistance and burial benefits.
The VA health care system operates more than 1,400 sites of care.
Nearly 5.5 million people received care in VA health care facilities
in 2008.
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