Carlos S. Castelo

Pyridostigmine bromide and the long-term subjective health status of a sample of over 700 male reserve component gulf war era veterans

Data from a 1996–1997 survey of approximately 700 Reserve Component male veterans indicate that the consumption of pyridostigmine bromide pills, used as a pretreatment for potential exposure to the nerve agent Soman, was a significant predictor of declines in reported subjective health status after the war, even after controlling for a number of other possible factors. Reported reactions to vaccines and other medications also predicted declines in subjective health. While higher military rank generally predicted better health during and after the war, educational attainment, minority status, number of days in theater, and age generally did not predict changes in subjective health. Although servicemembers were directed to take three pills a day, veterans reported a range of compliance—less than a fourth (24%) followed the medical instructions compared to 61% who took fewer than three pills daily and 6% who took six or more pills a day. Implications for use of pyridostigmine bromide are discussed.

Understanding Mail Survey Response Rates among Female Reserve Component Veterans Serving during the Persian Gulf War

In this study of current and former female reservists and National Guard members from the state of Ohio, veterans who were older, who had more years of military service, who had participated in the Gulf War, who were Euro-Americans, who were or had been married, and who were higher in rank tended to have more valid addresses and higher response rates, thus biasing sample outcomes in those directions. Educational attainment, branch of service, component of service, and residential stability appeared to be less important, although some significant findings were noted. Implications for further research on Desert Storm are discussed. In general, those veterans who might have been expected to have a greater investment in U.S. society were more likely to respond to a survey concerning Desert Storm era military service and its aftermath.

Attitudes of Reserve Component Servicemembers regarding the Consequences of Frequent Overseas Deployments

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it will use Reserve component units more frequently for overseas deployments, for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. Approximately one thousand Reserve component veterans, most from Ohio, were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the effects of increased overseas deployment requirements for Reserve servicemembers. Approximately half of those surveyed reported that the new requirements would pose substantial difficulties for civilian employment and family life, with reduced intentions to remain in the military or to stay long enough to retire from the military. Difficulties seemed to be more severe for family life than for civilian employment. Persian Gulf War veterans were more pessimistic about the effects of the new requirements on family life and recruiting; however, those who had remained in the military were less pessimistic about the effects of increased deployments.

Understanding mail survey response rates among male reserve component Gulf War era veterans.

In this study of current and former male Reserve and National Guard members from the State of Ohio, it was expected that veterans who were older, had more years of military service, who had participated in the Persian Gulf War, who were Euro-Americans, who were higher in rank, who had higher residential stability in Ohio who belonged to the Air Force, who had higher formal education, and who belong to the National Guard would have a greater investment in U.S. society as defined by 11 demographic variables. It was assumed that those with greater investment in society would more often have valid addresses and would be more likely to respond to a survey on military issues, thereby biasing sample outcomes in those directions. Results for male veterans were consistent with the hypothesis that investment in the society system would predict validity of addresses and response rates. In other words, results supported the idea that those veterans who might be expected to have a greater investment in U.S. society were more likely to be located and to respond (once located) to a survey concerning Desert Storm-era military service and its aftermath. Implications for future Desert Storm research are discussed.

Predicting self-reported exposure to nerve agents by reserve component personnel during the first Persian Gulf War.

Approximately 13% of 654 Reserve Component Gulf War veterans (18% women, 65% ground forces, between 24 and 61 years of age, average 40.2 yr.) surveyed in the Ohio Desert Storm Research Project reported that they had probably been exposed to nerve or mustard gas agents, while another 32% thought such exposures were possible. Reports of exposure were found, through ordinary least squares regression analysis, to be associated with membership in ground forces (Army/Marine Corps) (b = .29), geographical location (b = .17), ethnic minority status (b = .07), education (b = –.10), intrinsic religiosity (b = .10), and also reporting having had physiological reactions to vaccines or pyridostigmine bromide pills (b = .24). Reports were not associated significantly with subjective health before the war, age, or sex.