Military and veteran health behavior research and practice: challenges and opportunities.
There are 2.1 million current military servicemembers and 21 million living veterans in the United States. Although they were healthier upon entering military service compared to the general U.S. population, in the longer term veterans tend to be of equivalent or worse health than civilians. One primary explanation for the veterans' health disparity is poorer health behaviors during or after military service, especially areas of physical activity, nutrition, tobacco, and alcohol. In response, the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs continue to develop, evaluate, and improve health promotion programs and healthcare services for military and veteran health behavior in an integrated approach. Future research and practice is needed to better understand and promote positive health behavior during key transition periods in the military and veteran life course. Also paramount is implementation and evaluation of existing interventions, programs, and policies across the population using an integrated and person centered approach.
Health Services Research and Development Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW (10P9H), Washington, DC, 20420, USA. Jeffrey.Haibach@va.gov.
Jeffrey P
JP
Haibach
U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, USA.
Michael Ann
MA
Haibach
Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.|Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Katherine S
KS
Hall
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.|Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Robin M
RM
Masheb
Center for Population Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
Melissa A
MA
Little
VA Center for Integrated Healthcare, Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, USA.|Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
Robyn L
RL
Shepardson
Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Deployment Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Anne C
AC
Dobmeyer
VA Center for Integrated Healthcare, Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, USA.|Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
Jennifer S
JS
Funderburk
Patient-Centered Medical Home Branch, Clinical Support Division, Defense Health Agency, Washington, DC, USA.
Christopher L
CL
Hunter
National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Durham, NC, USA.
Margaret
M
Dundon
Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.|Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Leslie R M
LR
Hausmann
Office of Academic Affiliations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, USA.|Medical Service Corps, U.S. Army Reserve, Washington, DC, USA.
Stephen K
SK
Trynosky
Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
David E
DE
Goodrich
Health Services Research and Development Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW (10P9H), Washington, DC, 20420, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Amy M
AM
Kilbourne
Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA.|Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Sara J
SJ
Knight
Center for Population Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
Gerald W
GW
Talcott
National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Durham, NC, USA.
Michael G
MG
Goldstein
D001524:Behavioral Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Behavioral health; Health behavior; Health promotion; Healthcare; Military; Servicemember; Veteran
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