Work

Symptom Patterns Among Gulf War Registry Veterans

Year: 2003

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: We identify symptom patterns among veterans who believe they suffer from Gulf War-related illnesses and characterize groups of individuals with similar patterns. METHODS: A mail survey was completed by 1161 veterans drawn from the Gulf War Health Registry. RESULTS: An exploratory factor analysis revealed 4 symptom factors. A K-means cluster analysis revealed 2 groups: (1) veterans reporting good health and few moderate/severe symptoms, and (2) veterans reporting fair/poor health and endorsing an average of 37 symptoms, 75% as moderate/severe. Those in Cluster 2 were more likely to report having 1 or more of 24 medical conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with previous investigations of symptom patterns in Gulf War veterans. This multisymptom illness may be more fully characterized by the extent, breadth, and severity of symptoms reported.

Source: American Journal of Public Health

DOI: 10.2105/ajph.93.4.624

Authors: William K. Hallman, Howard M. Kipen, Michael Diefenbach, Kendal Boyd, Han Kang, Howard Leventhal, Daniel Wartenberg

Institutions: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Language: English

Topic: Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2027700251

FWCI: 4.514

Cites: 18

Cited by: 49

Related to: 10