An Evidence Map of the Women Veterans’ Health Research Literature (2008–2015)

Danan, Elisheva; Krebs, Erin E.; Ensrud, Kristine E.; Koeller, Eva; MacDonald, Roderick; Velasquez, Tina; Greer, Nancy; Wilt, Timothy J

doi:10.1007/s11606-017-4152-5

Cited by 68 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 458 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The prevalence of hypertension and high cholesterol among women veterans was strikingly high (>44% in women ages 45-64 years and >60% in women ages !65 years), consistent with previous studies (Vimalananda et al, 2013). Given the predominance of hypertension and diabetes observed in women veterans, it is remarkable that the Danan et al (2017) review of women veterans' health did not identify any published clinical research studies with a primary focus on hypertension and only three studies on diabetes that included women veterans.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…One notable gender difference that is supported by the literature is that depressive disorders, PTSD, and anxiety disorders are more prevalent among women compared with men across the lifespan Lehavot et al, 2018;Maguen et al, 2010;Runnals et al, 2014;Ziobrowski et al, 2017). Consistent with , depression was among the most commonly reported conditions by women veterans across the lifespan; despite depression's high prevalence, the Danan et al (2017) review found only three studies including women veterans with a primary focus on depression. In addition, women exhibited a substantially higher prevalence of osteoporosis, thyroid problems, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, osteoarthritis, and asthma (RRs, 1.9-4.2), which is comparable with findings from a nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans (Ziobrowski et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The VA's commitment to ensuring equitable access to highquality health care for women veterans has stimulated a surge in research on women veterans' health and health care issues (Bastian, Bosworth, Washington, & Yano, 2013;Yano et al, 2011). A review of women veterans' health research published between 2004 and 2008 revealed that more articles were published within that 5-year period than during the 25 previous years ; the pace of research increased further from 2008 through 2015 (Danan et al, 2017). Even with this growth, significant gaps remain, including failures to report gender-specific clinical findings (e.g., interventional trials including women veterans, but not reporting results by gender; see review by Danan et al, 2017) and a paucity of woman-focused clinical research (i.e., all-female samples or studies with a sufficient number of women to allow genderspecific analyses) on common diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and depression, despite their high prevalence among women veterans.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A review of women veterans' health research published between 2004 and 2008 revealed that more articles were published within that 5-year period than during the 25 previous years ; the pace of research increased further from 2008 through 2015 (Danan et al, 2017). Even with this growth, significant gaps remain, including failures to report gender-specific clinical findings (e.g., interventional trials including women veterans, but not reporting results by gender; see review by Danan et al, 2017) and a paucity of woman-focused clinical research (i.e., all-female samples or studies with a sufficient number of women to allow genderspecific analyses) on common diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and depression, despite their high prevalence among women veterans. An explicit focus on sex/gender differences in clinical research can have far-reaching implications for understanding disease mechanisms, informing earlier detection of individuals at increased disease risk, and tailoring treatment planning.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Gender Differences in Demographic and Health Characteristics of the Million Veteran Program Cohort

Program

2019

Women's Health Issues

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tBackground: The Department of Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program (MVP) is the largest ongoing cohort program of its kind, with 654,903 enrollees as of June 2018. The objectives of this study were to examine gender differences in the MVP cohort with respect to response and enrollment rates; demographic, health, and health care characteristics; and prevalence of self-reported health conditions. Methods: The MVP Baseline Survey was completed by 415,694 veterans (8% women), providing self-report measures of demographic characteristics, health status, and medical history. Results: Relative to men, women demonstrated a higher positive responder rate (23.0% vs. 16.0%), slightly higher enrollment rate (13.5% vs. 12.9%), and, among enrollees, a lower survey completion rate (59.7% vs. 63.8%). Women were younger, more racially diverse, had higher educational attainment, and were less likely to be married or cohabitating with a partner than men. Women were more likely to report good to excellent health status but poorer physical fitness, and less likely to report lifetime smoking and drinking than men. Compared with men, women veterans showed an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions, thyroid problems, gastrointestinal conditions, migraine headaches, and mental health disorders, as well as a decreased prevalence of gout, cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol, diabetes, and hearing problems. Conclusions: These results revealed some substantial gender differences in the research participation rates, demographic profile, health characteristics, and prevalence of health conditions for veterans in the MVP cohort. Findings highlight the need for tailoring recruitment efforts to ensure representation of the increasing women veteran population receiving care through the Veterans Health Administration.Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Migraine headaches 2.27 (2.22-2.31)Osteoarthri s 1.94 (1.90-1.98) Asthma 1.91 (1.86-1.96) Bipolar disorder 1.43 (1.37-1.49) Anxiety reac on/ panic disorder 1.39 (1.37-1.42) Depression 1.38 (1.37-1.40) Other headaches 1.38 (1.34-1.42) Skin cancer 0.81 (0.78-0.84) Hypertension 0.78 (0.77-0.79) Diabetes 0.75 (0.73-0.77) Sleep apnea 0.64 (0.62-0.65) Trauma c brain injury 0.63 (0.60-0.67) Tinnitus 0.62 (0.61-0.63) Hearing loss 0.49 (0.47-0.50) Coronary artery/heart disease 0.43 (0.41-0.46) Heart a ack 0.40 (0.38-0.43) Gout 0.31 (0.29-0.34) Risk Ra o Figure 2. Age-standardized risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals of self-reported health conditions for women versus men enrolled in the Million Veteran Program (using men as the reference group). This figure displays the top 10 conditions associated with elevated risk for women and the top 10 conditions associated with reduced risk for women (the 10 largest and 10 smallest RRs, respectively). IBS, irritable bowel syndrome.K.M. Harrington et al. / Women's Health Issues 29-S1 (2019) S56-S66 S62

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Gender Differences in Demographic and Health Characteristics of the Million Veteran Program Cohort

Program

2019

Women's Health Issues

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To do so, challenges that women Veterans face, such as rural/urban disparities in health and access to healthcare as well as other barriers to receiving VHA services, should be considered . These challenges do still exist in improving women Veterans’ health despite significant progress made over the last years . For example, HRQoL of women Veterans can be influenced by social, emotional, physical, and other factors .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Five‐year trend in healthcare access and patient‐reported health outcomes among women veterans

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: This study aimed to describe the five-year trend in healthcare access, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and health outcomes in women Veterans.Methods: A retrospective, pooled, cross-sectional study design was employed. Fiveyear trend was assessed using 2013 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Bivariate, multivariable logistic regression, and ordinary least squares regression analyses were conducted.Results: A total of 6561 women Veterans, aged 18 to 64 years (3534 in 2013 and 3027 in 2017) were included. Compared to 2013, more women Veterans in 2017 reported increased healthcare insurance and decreased cost as a barrier to care.Women Veterans with health insurance were less likely to report cost as a barrier to care. There were no statistically significant differences in HRQoL in bivariate or ordinary least squares regression analyses between BRFSS years. Conclusion: Federal policy and Veterans Health Administration expansion have hadan impact on improving healthcare access to women Veterans. However, increased healthcare access alone does not translate into improved HRQoL or health outcomes for women Veterans. Future policies should not only focus on increasing healthcare access, but also improving health outcomes, especially HRQoL. The quality of the healthcare accessed must be a focus for future research and policy. K E Y W O R D Shealth insurance, HRQoL, trend, women Veterans

show abstract

Migraine Prevalence, Environmental Risk, and Comorbidities in Men and Women Veterans

Gasperi,

Schuster,

Franklin

et al. 2024

JAMA Netw Open

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ImportanceMigraine is a prevalent and debilitating condition that substantially impacts quality of life. Investigating migraine prevalence, associated comorbidities, and potential military service exposures in veterans, focusing on gender differences, is crucial for targeted interventions and management strategies.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of migraine, associated health comorbidities, and potential military service and environmental exposures among men and women US veterans using a large-scale epidemiological sample from the Million Veteran Program (MVP).Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cross-sectional study analyzed self-report survey data from the MVP, a large epidemiological sample of US veterans that was started in 2011 and has ongoing enrollment. Eligible participants were selected from the MVP database in 2023. The study included 491 604 veterans to examine migraine prevalence, health comorbidities, demographic characteristics, military service history, and environmental exposures. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to July 2023.ExposuresMilitary service and environmental factors, such as chemical or biological warfare exposure, were considered.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was migraine prevalence among men and women veterans, assessed through self-reported diagnoses. Secondary outcomes included the association between migraine and health comorbidities, demographic characteristics, military service history, and environmental exposures.ResultsOf the 491 604 veterans included in this study, 450 625 (91.8%) were men and 40 979 (8.2%) were women. The lifetime prevalence of migraine was significantly higher in women (12 324 of 40 979 [30.1%]) than in men (36 816 of 450 625 [8.2%]). Migraine prevalence varied by race and ethnicity, with the highest prevalence in Hispanic or Latinx women (1213 of 3495 [34.7%]). Veterans with migraine reported worse general health, higher levels of pain, increased pain interference with work, a higher likelihood of psychiatric and neurological health conditions, and greater lifetime opioid use. Specific aspects of military service, including service post-September 2001 and deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and environmental factors, including Agent Orange, chemical and biological welfare, and antinerve agent pills history, were significantly associated with migraine prevalence.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cross-sectional study of migraine, the results highlighted gender differences in migraine prevalence and associated health comorbidities among US veterans. The findings emphasized the need for interdisciplinary approaches to migraine management, increased awareness and education efforts, and population-based screening strategies, particularly for women and Hispanic veterans who are at greater risk. Our findings encourage further research into tailored interventions for specific subpopulations and the impact of military service and environmental exposures on migraine and related health conditions.

show abstract

An Evidence Map of the Women Veterans’ Health Research Literature (2008–2015)

Cited by 68 publications

References 458 publications

Gender Differences in Demographic and Health Characteristics of the Million Veteran Program Cohort

Gender Differences in Demographic and Health Characteristics of the Million Veteran Program Cohort

Five‐year trend in healthcare access and patient‐reported health outcomes among women veterans

Migraine Prevalence, Environmental Risk, and Comorbidities in Men and Women Veterans

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About