Document Detail


Health risk behaviors of afghanistan and iraq war veterans attending college.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22040391     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Data-Review    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Abstract Purpose . The population of military veterans attending college is rapidly growing as veterans return from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). We sought to describe patterns of student veterans' health-related behaviors and how they might differ from their nonveteran peers. Design . We analyzed data from the 2008 Boynton College Student Health Survey (CSHS). Setting . CSHS participants completed an anonymous online survey. Subjects . The CSHS sampled students (n  =  8651) attending public, private, 2-year, and 4-year postsecondary educational institutions in Minnesota. Measures . The CSHS included items on substance use (including alcohol and tobacco), safety, nutrition, and physical activity. Analysis . We described demographics of OEF/OIF veteran, non-OEF/OIF veteran, and nonveteran students and used Poisson regression to compute adjusted relative risks (ARRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to characterize associations between veteran status and health behaviors. Results . After controlling for demographics, veteran students reported more safety-, tobacco-, and alcohol-related risk behaviors compared to nonveteran students. For instance, compared to the nonveteran reference group, the ARR for past year smokeless tobacco use and physical fighting among for OEF/OIF veterans was 1.76 (95% CI  =  1.31-2.35) and 1.48 (95% CI  =  1.22-1.79) respectively. Veteran and nonveteran students display similar weight-related behaviors, though OEF/OIF veteran students were more likely to engage in strengthening exercises. Conclusions . There are specific health risk behaviors that are particularly relevant for veterans attending postsecondary institutions. As veterans enroll in postsecondary education, there is a unique window of opportunity for health promotion in this population.
Authors:
Rachel Widome; Melissa Nelson Laska; Ashley Gulden; Steven S Fu; Katherine Lust
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  American journal of health promotion : AJHP     Volume:  26     ISSN:  0890-1171     ISO Abbreviation:  Am J Health Promot     Publication Date:  2011 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-11-01     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8701680     Medline TA:  Am J Health Promot     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  101-8     Citation Subset:  T    
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