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VA Cooperative Studies Program (CSP)

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Women Veteran Cohort Study (WVCS)

 

Investigator Access

What's Available




Check with the study contact and publications for information on a public dataset, data archive, data enclave, or website where data might be available.

Available Documentation 

Dates Data are Available 

Access Criteria 

Study Characteristics

Objectives
  • Identify important factors of gender associated disparities in health care utilization and outcomes among Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation New Dawn (OND) Veterans receiving care in the VA system
  • Develop a greater understanding of the impact of military service on women's lives to improve preventive and overall VHA healthcare delivery 

Era of Service

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Operation New Dawn (OND)

Population

Male and female Veterans who participated in OEF, OIF, or OND

Study Design 

Two-phase prospective cohort 

Time Period 

November 2007 - October 2012

Setting

New England and Indiana

N
  • Initial survey: 693 participants
  • Follow up 1: 522 participants
  • Follow up 2: 214 participants

Response Rate

776 participants enrolled, 89% completed initial survey

Recruitment Method    

All women and an equal number of randomly selected men who were residents of Indiana or New England and served in OEF/OIF/OND were mailed surveys. Surveys were sent up to 3 times for those who didn't respond. 

Compensation

$20

Data Collected
  • Demographics
  • Combat exposure
  • Trauma
  • Pain
  • Social support
  • Health status
  • Reproductive health
  • Health habits
  • Healthcare practices and utilization of healthcare services

Data Collection Methods
  • Baseline web-based survey
  • Electronic health records and clinical progress notes from one year prior to survey completion

Funding Source

VA Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Service, Grant # DHI 07-065, PI: Brandt 

Investigator

Primary Investigator: Cynthia A. Brandt, MD, MPH

Contact 

Unconfirmed

Selected Publications

Burg MM, Brandt C, Buta E, Schwartz J, Bathulapalli H, Dziura J, Edmondson DE, Haskell S. Risk for Incident Hypertension Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military Veterans and the Effect of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment. Psychosomatic medicine. 2017 Feb 1; 79(2):181-188.

Higgins DM, Kerns RD, Brandt CA, Haskell SG, Bathulapalli H, Gilliam W, Goulet JL. Persistent pain and comorbidity among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/operation New Dawn veterans. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.). 2014 May 1; 15(5):782-90.

Seng EK, Driscoll MA, Brandt CA, Bathulapalli H, Goulet J, Silliker N, Kerns RD, Haskell SG. Prescription headache medication in OEF/OIF veterans: results from the Women Veterans Cohort Study. Headache. 2013 Sep 1; 53(8):1312-22.

Cobb SJ, Pietrzak RH, Southwick SM, et al. Military sexual trauma interacts with combat exposure to increase risk for posttraumatic stress symptomatology in female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. J Clin Psychiatry. Jun 2014; 75(6):637-43.

More Information

Study website

 



 

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