title: Association between asthma and serious psychological distress among male veterans compared to civilian counterparts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identify the association between current asthma status and serious psychological distress among males who served in the U.S. Armed Forces as compared to civilians.
  
  
  METHODS
  A secondary analysis was performed utilizing the 2009 and 2011 California Health Interview Survey, including 9993 veteran males and 26,999 civilian males. All analyses used replicate weights to account for complex survey design. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were generated to describe the population. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were utilized to model the effect of asthma and other covariates on past year and past month serious psychological distress, stratified by veteran status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After model adjustment, current asthma status was significantly associated with past month and year serious psychological distress among veterans only. In addition, while race/ethnicity and risk behaviors of smoking and/or binge drinking were significantly associated with distress among civilians, no such association was noted among veterans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the authors' knowledge, this was the first study to demonstrate that the relationship between asthma and serious psychological distress varies by veteran status. Several unique correlates among veterans were also noted. Future preventive strategies for mental health disorders should incorporate these reported differences, including that of asthma co-morbidity among veterans.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, United States.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Becerra
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science and Human Ecology, California State University, San Bernardino, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, CA 92407, United States. Electronic address: mbecerra@csusb.edu.
authors.forename: Monideepa B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Becerra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Asthma; California Health Interview Survey; Males; Mental health; Serious psychological distress; Veteran