Illness Among Persian Gulf War Veterans: Case Validation Studies.
Abstract
We recently completed a population-based, cross-sectional telephone survey of 4,886 military personnel to compare the prevalence of self-reported symptoms and illnesses among military personnel either deployed, or eligible but not deployed, during the Persian Gulf War (PGW) (JAMA, 1997). Compared with non-PGW military personnel, PGW military personnel reported a significantly higher prevalence of symptoms of a variety of conditions, although depression, cognitive dysfunction, and fibromyalgia were particularly elevated. The existence of a causal relationship between either military exposures or other risk factors and documented illness for most symptomatic PGW veterans remains to be demonstrated. The proposed investigations, a series of case-validation and case-control studies nested within our population-based study, should provide an estimate of the true magnitude of the problem. Because of the magnitude of the difference in prevalence between these groups, it is critical to explore and characterize their cognitive deficits, depression, and multisystemic conditions. The primary purpose of the current project is to compare the true rate of confirmed disease among samples of veterans not deployed, with and without these self-reported conditions. Furthermore, we also plan to identify risk factors for each disease outcome of interest including medical and family history, psychological factors (such as major lifetime events or stress, personality traits, and social support), and occupational and environmental exposures for validated illness in a series of nested case-control studies. Year 2 of 4 the grant has just been completed. Through September 1999, 155 subjects have been assessed, with a participation rate of 75%. Recruitment, assessment, and data collection, entry, and validation efforts are ongoing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA372012
Entities
People
- Bradley N. Doebbeling
Organizations
- University of Iowa