title: Prevalence of painful musculoskeletal conditions in female and male veterans in 7 years after return from deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to describe sex differences in the prevalence of painful musculoskeletal conditions in men and women Veterans after deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) (OEF-OIF).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an observational study using Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative and clinical databases of OEF-OIF Veterans who had enrolled in and used VA care. The prevalence of back problems, musculoskeletal conditions, and joint disorders was determined at years 1 through 7 after deployment for female and male Veterans using ICD-9 code groupings for these conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female Veterans were younger (mean age 29 vs. 30, P<0.0001), more likely to be African American (26% vs. 13%, P<0.0001), and less likely to be married (34% vs. 47%, P<0.0001). For both female and male Veterans, the prevalence of painful musculoskeletal conditions increased each year after deployment. After adjustment for significant demographic differences, women were more likely than men to have back problems [year 1 odds ratio (OR) 1.06 (1.01, 1.11)], musculoskeletal problems [year 1 OR 1.32 (1.24, 1.40)], and joint problems [year 1 OR 1.36 (1.21, 1.53)] and the odds of having these conditions increased each year for women compared with men in years 1 to 7 after deployment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To provide quality care to female Veterans, the VA must understand the impact of deployment on women's health. Our findings provide an important picture of the increasing prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions in the female Veteran population and highlight the importance of the VA targeting treatment programs that focus on issues of particular importance to women with musculoskeletal pain.
authors.affiliation: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA. Sally.Haskell@VA.gov
authors.forename: Sally G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Haskell
authors.forename: Yuming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krebs
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goulet
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mattocks
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kerns
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*