Publication Date
3-11-2022
Abstract
Our research focuses on self-rated general health and access to healthcare among veterans. We used data collected by the 2010 National Survey of Veterans, a nationally representative survey of veterans in the U.S. The purpose is to identify and assess aspects of military experiences which could be responsible for differences in veterans’ health and their access to healthcare. Specifically, we investigate how exposure to combat, as well as exposure to specific traumas, can have a lasting impact on the health of veterans. We utilized two nested regression models around our focal variables; a logistic regression model was used to assess the access to mental healthcare, while an ordinal regression model was used to assess self-rated general health. We were also able to infer that a structural change in policies for veterans’ healthcare might have provided significant benefits among the population. Findings show unique effects on health patterns for combat and trauma in the field. Paradoxically, we also observe that many of the socio-economic indicators operated quite differently than they do for the general population in the United States in terms of their links to health differences.