Design and methods of the national Vietnam veterans longitudinal study.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Schlenger WE
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6878456 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Design and methods of the national Vietnam veterans longitudinal study.
Schlenger William E WE Corry Nida H NH Kulka Richard A RA Williams Christianna S CS Henn-Haase Clare C Marmar Charles R CR
International journal of methods in psychiatric research 20150620 3
The National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study (NVVLS) is the second assessment of a representative cohort of US veterans who served during the Vietnam War era, either in Vietnam or elsewhere. The cohort was initially surveyed in the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) from 1984 to 1988 to assess the prevalence, incidence, and effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other post-war problems. The NVVLS sought to re-interview the cohort to assess the long-term course ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:As an important indicator of mobility, driving confers a host of social and health benefits to older adults. Despite the importance of safe mobility as the population ages, longitudinal data are lacking about the natural history and determinants of driving safety in older adults.The Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) project is a multisite prospective cohort study designed to generate empirical data for understanding the role of medical, behavioral, environmental and technological factors in driving safety during the process of aging.A total of 2990 active drivers aged 65-79 years at baseline have been recruited through primary care clinics or health care systems in five study sites located in California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, and New York. Consented participants were assessed at baseline with standardized research protocols and instruments, including vehicle inspection, functional performance tests, and "brown-bag review" of medications. The primary vehicle of each participant was instrumented with a small data collection device that records detailed driving data whenever the vehicle is operating and detects when a participant is driving. Annual follow-up is being conducted for up to three years with a telephone questionnaire at 12 and 36 months and in-person assessment at 24 months. Medical records are reviewed annually to collect information on clinical diagnoses and healthcare utilization. Driving records, including crashes and violations, are collected annually from state motor vehicle departments. Pilot testing was conducted on 56 volunteers during March-May 2015. Recruitment and enrollment were completed between July 2015 and March 2017.Results of the LongROAD project will generate much-needed evidence for formulating public policy and developing intervention programs to maintain safe mobility while ensuring well-being for older adults.
| S-EPMC5537138 | biostudies-other
Project description:Patient Selection: Three hospitals were involved in the study: Dong Thap Provincial and An Giang Provincial hospitals, both located in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam where most of the Typhoid patients were admitted, and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, where the malarial patients were admitted. Infection status of each patient was determined by blood culture for the Typhoid patients and by microscopic examination of stained thick and thin peripheral-blood slides for the patients suspected of having Malaria. Patients with blood cultures positive for S. Typhi or S. enterica serovar Paratyphi A (S. Paratyphi A) (samples designated ST) or peripheral blood smears positive for Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium vivax (samples designated PF) were consented and enrolled in the study. A total of 28 S. Typhi positive patients and one S. Paratyphi A positive patient were enrolled in the first phase of the study and a further 9 S. Typhi and one S. Paratyphi A positive patient were enrolled in the second phase. Nine patients with Malaria caused by P. falciparum and one caused by P. vivax were enrolled. Sixteen uninfected healthy individuals (samples designated HC) were also enrolled in the study (one sample each). The Typhoid patients were randomly chosen to receive either Azithromycin or Gatifloxicin (20mg/kg/day for 7 days) antibiotics. Uncomplicated malaria patients were treated for 3 days with Artekin (dihydroartemisinin with piperaquine phosphate). Venous blood (2.5ml) was collected for total RNA extraction into PaxGene RNA collection tubes (Qiagen) at various times. The first sample (T1) was taken immediately on admission or entry into the study, then samples were collected, 3 (T3), 6-9 (T9 for Typhoid, T7 for Malaria), and 28-45 (T28) days following entry into the study and an average of 9 months (T9M) later. The PaxGene tubes were stored at 4degC until RNA was extracted as per the manufacturers instructions. Purified RNA was shipped on dry ice to Stanford University, CA for use in Microarray analyses. Microarrays: Experimental and reference samples (Human Universal RNA reference {Stratagene}) were amplified using the MessageAmp II aRNA Kit (Ambion) as per the manufacturer's instructions. Four micrograms amplified RNA was labeled through indirect incorporation of Cy5 (experimental) and Cy3 (reference) dyes (protocols can be found at http://cmgm.stanford.edu/pbrown/protocols/index.html). The labeled probes were then mixed and hybridized to Stanford Human cDNA arrays with 42 K features. Arrays were scanned using a Genepix 4000A laser scanner and data extracted with Genepix Pro Software version 5.1 (Axon Instruments). The data were then uploaded into the Stanford Microarray Database (SMD). A disease state experiment design type is where the state of some disease such as infection, pathology, syndrome, etc is studied. Compound Based Treatment: Drugs used for treatment Disease State: Malaria, Typhoid or Healthy Controls Keywords: disease_state_design
2010-01-04 | GSE7000 | GEO
Project description:IntroductionA comprehensive study to assess quality and outcomes of care for Veterans with upper limb amputation is needed. This paper presents methods and summary findings from a national survey of Veterans with upper limb amputation.MethodsAfter completion of a pilot study to develop and refine methods, computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted with 808 Veterans with upper limb amputation (response rate = 47.7%; cooperation rate = 63.3%).ResultsRespondents were 776 unilateral and 32 bilateral amputees, 97.5% male, mean age 63.3 (sd 14.1). Prostheses were used by 60% unilateral and 91% bilateral, the majority used body powered devices. Prostheses were used ≥8 hours/day by 52% unilateral and 76% bilateral. Prosthetic training was received by 71% unilateral and 59% bilateral. Mean prosthetic satisfaction was 3.9 (sd 0.6) and 3.8 (sd 0.7) as measured by TAPES; and 25.0 (sd 5.1) and 25.7 (sd 4.5) as measured by OPUS CSD for unilateral and bilateral respectively. Mean perceived disability (measured by QuickDASH) scores were 49.5 (sd 20.7) for unilateral and 34.7 (sd 22.0) for bilateral. VR-12 PCS scores were below population norms. The majority reported contralateral limb pain, musculoskeletal conditions, back and neck pain. Phantom limb pain was reported in 83.4% of unilateral and 68.8% of bilateral, and residual limb pain in 65.1% of unilateral and 68.8% of bilateral. Most, (81.8% unilateral, 84.4% bilateral) had been to a Veterans Affairs medical center (VA) for amputation care, while 57% of unilateral and 81.3% of bilateral had been to a VA amputation clinic.Discussion/conclusionVeterans with upper limb amputation have moderately impaired physical functioning. Prosthesis use rates were lower than previously reported. Although satisfied with their prostheses, nearly half used them ≤8 hours/day. Rates of musculoskeletal problems, phantom and residual limb pain were higher than previously reported. A substantial proportion never received prosthetic training, or VA amputation care.
| S-EPMC6417699 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In 1988, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) of a representative sample of 1200 veterans estimated that 30.9% had developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during their lifetimes and that 15.2% were currently suffering from PTSD. The study also found a strong dose-response relationship: As retrospective reports of combat exposure increased, PTSD occurrence increased. Skeptics have argued that these results are inflated by recall bias and other flaws. We used military records to construct a new exposure measure and to cross-check exposure reports in diagnoses of 260 NVVRS veterans. We found little evidence of falsification, an even stronger dose-response relationship, and psychological costs that were lower than previously estimated but still substantial. According to our fully adjusted PTSD rates, 18.7% of the veterans had developed war-related PTSD during their lifetimes and 9.1% were currently suffering from PTSD 11 to 12 years after the war; current PTSD was typically associated with moderate impairment.
| S-EPMC1584215 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveHeart failure (HF) has emerged as a global public health problem that affects both low and high-income countries. The high HF burden and the need for resource-intensive treatments often lead to health system crisis in resource-poor settings. Data on prevailing practice patterns and long-term clinical outcomes of HF are scarce from the low and middle-income countries. Nationally representative HF data from India are not available.MethodsThe National Heart Failure Registry (NHFR) is a multicentric, hospital-based registry of HF patients from 53 centers across India. Consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of acute decompensated HF satisfying the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2016 criteria will be enrolled into the registry from January 2019 to December 2019. Each participating center is expected to contribute 200 patients into the registry (i.e., more than 10,000 HF patients from India). We are collecting demographics, clinical, laboratory, imaging, and other diagnostic data at baseline from all registered patients in the registry by using a structured document. Additionally, we are collecting the details of treatment practices and the usage of guideline-directed therapy from all participants. We intend to obtain the in-hospital, 3-months, 6-months and one-year outcome data on mortality, cause of death, and repeated hospitalization events.ConclusionsIn summary, NFHR will be the first nationally representative HF registry aimed at providing crucial information on prevailing etiology, distribution and current practices in the management of HF.
| S-EPMC7136335 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceMany Vietnam-era women veterans served in or near war zones and may have experienced stressful or traumatic events during their service. Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is well studied among men who served in Vietnam, no major epidemiologic investigation of PTSD among women has been performed.ObjectivesTo assess (1) the onset and prevalence of lifetime and current PTSD for women who served during the Vietnam era, stratified by wartime location (Vietnam, near Vietnam, or the United States), and (2) the extent to which wartime location was associated with PTSD, with adjustment for demographics, service characteristics, and wartime exposures.Design, setting, and participantsSurvey of 8742 women who were active-duty military personnel in the US Armed Forces at any time from July 4, 1965, through March 28, 1973, and alive as of survey receipt as part of Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study 579, HealthVIEWS. Data were obtained from mailed and telephone surveys from May 16, 2011, through August 5, 2012, and analyzed from June 26, 2013, through July 30, 2015.Main outcomes and measuresLifetime and current PTSD as measured by the PTSD module of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, version 3.0; onset of PTSD; and wartime experiences as measured by the Women's Wartime Exposure Scale-Revised.ResultsAmong the 4219 women (48.3%) who completed the survey and a telephone interview, the weighted prevalence (95% CI) of lifetime PTSD was 20.1% (18.3%-21.8%), 11.5% (9.1%-13.9%), and 14.1% (12.4%-15.8%) for the Vietnam, near-Vietnam, and US cohorts, respectively. The weighted prevalence (95% CI) of current PTSD was 15.9% (14.3%-17.5%), 8.1% (6.0%-10.2%), and 9.1% (7.7%-10.5%) for the 3 cohorts, respectively. Few cases of PTSD among the Vietnam or near-Vietnam cohorts were attributable to premilitary onset (weighted prevalence, 2.9% [95% CI, 2.2%-3.7%] and 2.9% [95% CI, 1.7%-4.2%], respectively). Unadjusted models for lifetime and current PTSD indicated that women who served in Vietnam were more likely to meet PTSD criteria than women who mainly served in the United States (odds ratio [OR] for lifetime PTSD, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.28-1.83]; OR for current PTSD, 1.89 [95% CI, 1.53-2.33]). When we adjusted for wartime exposures, serving in Vietnam or near Vietnam did not increase the odds of having current PTSD (adjusted ORs, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.75-1.46] and 0.77 [95% CI, 0.52-1.14], respectively).Conclusions and relevanceThe prevalence of PTSD for the Vietnam cohort was higher than previously documented. Vietnam service significantly increased the odds of PTSD relative to US service; this effect appears to be associated with wartime exposures, especially sexual discrimination or harassment and job performance pressures. Results suggest long-lasting mental health effects of Vietnam-era service among women veterans.
| S-EPMC7529477 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Patient Selection: Three hospitals were involved in the study: Dong Thap Provincial and An Giang Provincial hospitals, both located in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam where most of the Typhoid patients were admitted, and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, where the malarial patients were admitted. Infection status of each patient was determined by blood culture for the Typhoid patients and by microscopic examination of stained thick and thin peripheral-blood slides for the patients suspected of having Malaria. Patients with blood cultures positive for S. Typhi or S. enterica serovar Paratyphi A (S. Paratyphi A) (samples designated ST) or peripheral blood smears positive for Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium vivax (samples designated PF) were consented and enrolled in the study. A total of 28 S. Typhi positive patients and one S. Paratyphi A positive patient were enrolled in the first phase of the study and a further 9 S. Typhi and one S. Paratyphi A positive patient were enrolled in the second phase. Nine patients with Malaria caused by P. falciparum and one caused by P. vivax were enrolled. Sixteen uninfected healthy individuals (samples designated HC) were also enrolled in the study (one sample each). The Typhoid patients were randomly chosen to receive either Azithromycin or Gatifloxicin (20mg/kg/day for 7 days) antibiotics. Uncomplicated malaria patients were treated for 3 days with Artekin (dihydroartemisinin with piperaquine phosphate). Venous blood (2.5ml) was collected for total RNA extraction into PaxGene RNA collection tubes (Qiagen) at various times. The first sample (T1) was taken immediately on admission or entry into the study, then samples were collected, 3 (T3), 6-9 (T9 for Typhoid, T7 for Malaria), and 28-45 (T28) days following entry into the study and an average of 9 months (T9M) later. The PaxGene tubes were stored at 4degC until RNA was extracted as per the manufacturers instructions. Purified RNA was shipped on dry ice to Stanford University, CA for use in Microarray analyses. Microarrays: Experimental and reference samples (Human Universal RNA reference {Stratagene}) were amplified using the MessageAmp II aRNA Kit (Ambion) as per the manufacturer's instructions. Four micrograms amplified RNA was labeled through indirect incorporation of Cy5 (experimental) and Cy3 (reference) dyes (protocols can be found at http://cmgm.stanford.edu/pbrown/protocols/index.html). The labeled probes were then mixed and hybridized to Stanford Human cDNA arrays with 42 K features. Arrays were scanned using a Genepix 4000A laser scanner and data extracted with Genepix Pro Software version 5.1 (Axon Instruments). The data were then uploaded into the Stanford Microarray Database (SMD). A disease state experiment design type is where the state of some disease such as infection, pathology, syndrome, etc is studied. Compound Based Treatment: Drugs used for treatment Disease State: Malaria, Typhoid or Healthy Controls Keywords: disease_state_design Complex
2010-01-03 | E-GEOD-7000 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among aging Vietnam-era veterans is not well characterized.In a cross-sectional study, 5,598 male Vietnam-era veterans and members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry were assessed for PTSD using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Current symptoms were measured with the PTSD Checklist (PCL). PTSD was estimated according to age (<60 or ? 60) and Vietnam theater service.The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in theater veterans aged at least 60 years was 16.9% (95% CI: 13.9%-20.5%) and higher than the 5.5% (95% CI: 4.3%-7.0%) among nontheater veterans. Among veterans younger than 60 years, the comparable prevalence was 22.0% for theater (95% CI: 16.7%-28.4%) and 15.7% for nontheater (95% CI: 13.4%-18.2%) veterans. Similar results were found for theater service and current PTSD prevalence (past 12 months). PCL scores were significantly higher in theater compared with nontheater veterans in both younger and older cohorts. In both the younger and older cohorts significant differences in lifetime and current PTSD prevalence and PCL scores persisted in theater service discordant twin pairs.Vietnam service is related to elevated PTSD prevalence and current symptom burden in aging veterans. More than 30 years after the end of the Vietnam conflict, many veterans continue to suffer from PTSD, which highlights the need for continuing outreach throughout the life course.
| S-EPMC5928006 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThe aim was to observe the patterns of mortality and cancer incidence in New Zealand Vietnam veterans. The objectives were to assess whether the patterns of disease observed were consistent with those associated with military service in Vietnam, and similar to the patterns identified in other groups of Vietnam veterans.DesignA historical cohort study.SettingVeterans, identified from service records, with Vietnam service between 1964 and 1972.ParticipantsOf the 3322 survivors of Vietnam service, we followed up 2783 (84%).Outcome measuresStandardised mortality and incidence ratios (SMRs and SIRs, respectively) were calculated based on the number of deaths and cancer registrations observed, those expected being based on New Zealand national rates.ResultsAll cause mortality was significantly reduced (SMR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.94) and cancer incidence non-significantly increased (SIR 1.06, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.16). The risk of mortality from cancers of the head and neck (SMR 2.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.93); oral cavity pharynx and larynx (SMR 2.13, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.81) and the incidence of chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) (SIR 1.91, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.20) were, however, significantly increased. Other lymphohaematopoietic disorders, specifically multiple myeloma and Hodgkin disease, showed non-significant mortality excesses, reflected by a similar increase in incidence.ConclusionsService in the Vietnam war was associated with defoliant herbicide exposure, including 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, picloram and cacodylic acid. Subsequent reviews of mechanistic, animal and epidemiological evidence led to certain conditions being deemed compensable. The pattern of mortality and cancer incidence is not at odds with the list of compensable conditions and consistent with that found in Australian veterans serving in the same area of Vietnam, but also consistent with smoking and the healthy soldier effect. In common with the Australian experience, this is the only veterans group to show a significant excess of CLL.
| S-EPMC3773658 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Mental health data from the 2016-2017 Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study (VE-HEROeS) were analyzed by cohort, represented by United States Vietnam theater veterans (VTs) who served in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos; nontheater veterans (NTs) without theater service; and age- and sex-matched nonveterans (NVs) without military service. The exposure of interest was Vietnam theater service. Surveys mailed to random samples of veterans (n = 42,393) and nonveterans (n = 6,885) resulted in response rates of 45.0% for veterans (n = 6,735 VTs, Mage = 70.09, SE = 0.04; n = 12,131 NTs) and 67.0% for NVs (n = 4,530). We examined self-report data on four mental health outcomes: probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, psychological distress, and overall mental health functioning. Weighted adjusted odds ratios (aORs) between each outcome and cohort were estimated, controlling for covariates in four models: cohort plus sociodemographic variables (Model 1), Model 1 plus physical health variables (Model 2), Model 2 plus potentially traumatic events (PTEs; Model 3), and Model 3 plus other military service variables (Model 4). Mental health outcome prevalence was highest for VTs versus other cohorts, with the largest aOR, 2.88, for PTSD, 95% CI [2.46, 3.37], p < .001 (Model 4, VT:NT). Physical health and PTEs contributed most to observed effects; other service variables contributed least to aORs overall. Mental health dysfunction persists among VTs years after the war's end. The present results reaffirm previous findings and highlight the need for continued mental health surveillance in VTs.
| S-EPMC9310606 | biostudies-literature