title: The Health and Social Isolation of American Veterans Denied Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation.
abstract: Authors comparatively analyzed health and social isolation between U.S. military veterans denied Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation and veterans awarded VA disability compensation. The 2001 National Survey of Veterans was used to create a sample of 4,522 veterans denied or awarded VA disability compensation. Using the Andersen health services utilization model as a conceptual framework, multivariate logistic regression was applied to assess relationships between VA disability compensation award status, three separate domains of health, and correlates of social isolation. Results indicate that denied applicants were more likely than those awarded to have poor overall health (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23, 1.70), and limitations in activities of daily living (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.21). Denied applicants' physical functioning (40.3) and mental functioning (41.2) composite summary scores were not clinically different from those of awarded applicants (39.0 and 40.1, respectively), indicating that both were comparably impaired. Veterans denied VA disability compensation had poor health and functional impairments. They also experienced poverty and isolation, suggesting that they may be in need of additional supportive services. Connecting veterans to community resources could be a vital service to provide to all veterans applying for disability compensation.
authors.affiliation: Postdoctoral fellow, War Related Injury and Illness Study Center (WRIISC), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), East Orange, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis Adrian
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.affiliation: Professor, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Newark, USA.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Passannante
authors.affiliation: Director, WRIISC, VA, East Orange, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Drew
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Helmer
authors.affiliation: Professor, New Jersey Medical School, State University of New Jersey, Newark, USA.
authors.forename: Bart K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.affiliation: professor, School of Public Health, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Newark, USA.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012934:Social Isolation; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: functioning; psychosocial determinants; social isolation; veterans