Lifespan outcomes of military service

Boston University Medical Campus, Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Military service has profound effects on multiple aspects of health and well-being across the lifespan. Although veterans are selected for good health, and military service confers some positive benefits, it can also have short- and long-term negative consequences. There is an urgent need for an integrative, multidisciplinary approach to understand the dynamic interplay between the risk<and protective aspects of military service across the lifespan. Our objective is to advance a lifespan approach to the study of the long-term effects of military service on later life outcomes (i.e., health, well-being, social and economic circumstances). To accomplish this, we propose four aims: 1. Create a national network of scholars to study the lifespan outcomes of military service. We will build on existing resources at Boston University and VA Boston, and our ongoing collaboration with team members at Oregon State University. With advice from our Advisory Group we will expand our network to include a broader range of members and data resources. 2. Build a web-based information resource to promote access to and integrative uses of national databases. 3. Conduct integrative research using data described in this resource, developing and testing a lifespan model of the long-term outcomes of military service, using state-of-the-art statistical methods for the analysis of longitudinal data 4. Promote new research adopting a lifespan perspective, by means of workshops, virtual conferencing, and a national conference on Aging and Military Service. As part of our on-going activities, we will disseminate via a public-access website the information resources we develop;present and publish our findings;and develop the next generation of scholars addressing the lifespan implications of military service on health and well-being. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Veterans constitute a sizable proportion of the aging population;understanding the impact of their military experiences, especially deployment to combat, will enhance our knowledge of their long-term effects on health and well-being in aging. While this knowledge is useful for understanding the current cohort of aging veterans, it will also be useful in planning for the "new" veterans of OIF/OEF as they age over the coming years.