title: Military Sexual Trauma Among Recent Veterans: Correlates of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Military sexual trauma (MST) includes sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs during military service and is of increasing public health concern. The population prevalence of MST among female and male veterans who served during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) has not been estimated to our knowledge. The purpose of this study is to assess the population prevalence and identify military correlates of MST, sexual harassment, and sexual assault among OEF/OIF veterans.
  
  
  METHODS
  MST was assessed in the 2009-2011 National Health Study for a New Generation of U.S. Veterans, a survey of 60,000 veterans who served during the OEF/OIF eras (response rate, 34%, n=20,563). Weighted prevalence estimates and AORs of MST, sexual harassment, and sexual assault among women and men were calculated. Gender-stratified logistic regression models controlled for military and demographic characteristics. Data analyses were conducted in 2013-2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 41% of women and 4% of men reported experiencing MST. Deployed men had lower risk for MST compared with non-deployed men, though no difference was found among women. However, veterans reporting combat exposure during deployment had increased risk for MST compared with those without, while controlling for OEF/OIF deployment. Among women, Marines and Navy veterans had increased risk for MST compared with Air Force veterans. MST was significantly higher among veterans who reported using Veterans Affairs healthcare services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These prevalence estimates underscore the importance of public awareness and continued investigation of the public health impact of MST.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Health, Post Deployment Health, Epidemiology Program, Washington, District of Columbia. Electronic address: shannon.barth@va.gov.
authors.forename: Shannon K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Mental Health Services and National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kimerling
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Mental Health Services and National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavao
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Mental Health Services, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McCutcheon
authors.affiliation: Booz Allen Hamilton, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Sonja V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Batten
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Health, Post Deployment Health, Epidemiology Program, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dursa
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Health, Post Deployment Health, Epidemiology Program, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Health, Post Deployment Health, Epidemiology Program, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Aaron I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Schneiderman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*