title: Racial differences in sexual dysfunction among postdeployed Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
abstract: This study examined the racial/ethnic differences in prevalence and risk factors of sexual dysfunction among postdeployed Iraqi/Afghanistan veterans. A total of 3,962 recently deployed veterans were recruited from Houston Veterans Affairs medical center. The authors examined sociodemographic, medical, mental-health, and lifestyle-related variables. Sexual dysfunction was diagnosed by ICD9-CM code and/or medicines prescribed for sexual dysfunction. Analyses included chi-square, analysis of variance, and multivariate logistic regression. Sexual dysfunction was observed 4.7% in Whites, 7.9% in African Americans, and 6.3% in Hispanics. Age, marital status, smoking, and hypertension were risk factors for Whites, whereas age, marital status, posttraumatic stress disorder and hypertension were significant for African Americans. For Hispanics, only age and posttraumatic stress disorder were significant. This study identified that risk factors of sexual dysfunction varied by race/ethnicity. All postdeployed veterans should be screened; and psychosocial support and educational materials should address race/ethnicity-specific risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Houston VA HSR&D Center of Excellence, Houston, TX 77030, USA. monawarhosain@gmail.com
authors.forename: G M Monawar
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hosain
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Latini
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kauth
authors.forename: Heather Honoré
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Goltz
authors.forename: Drew A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Helmer
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D044469:Racial Groups; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology
keywords: postdeployment; race/ethnicity; sexual dysfunction; veterans