Health symptoms reported by Persian Gulf War veterans two years after return

Abstract

The role of actual or perceived events has considerable importance for individual well-being. Although the Persian Gulf War (PGW) has raised questions about the presence of hazardous environmental exposures, few, if any confirmed exposure data are available. Yet, a substantial number of PGW veterans report health problems since their return from that war. The present study was conducted to investigate possible associations between opportunities for exposure and increased rates of health symptom reporting. First, we examined descriptive data on types and rates of health symptoms reported by a cohort of Gulf War veterans. Then, using proxies for three wartime experiences, we examined associations between health symptoms reports and different Persian Gulf exposure scenarios (reported exposure to poison gas or germ warfare, being in a transportation unit, or high levels of combat exposure), adjusting for the effects of background characteristics (e.g., gender, psychological distress). Findings suggest that reported exposure to poison gas or germ warfare is related to higher symptom reporting by this cohort of New England area veterans. Limitations in the study design and the challenges involved in studying PGW veterans' illnesses are discussed.