Onset and Growth of Chronic Conditions Within the Disablement Process of Aging U.S. Veterans

• In Event: 4151 - Life Course

Abstract

Older United States veterans are a population at risk for disability due to their early life experiences with military service and increasing age, and they may experience more physical health difficulties compared to civilians. The number of veterans aged 65 and older in the U.S. in 2015 was 9.3 million, and that number is projected to rise as veterans of the Vietnam War continue to age. Despite the lived experience and substantial number of older veterans, the details of their late life disability experience are not well understood. It is unclear if the mechanisms explaining the mixed findings in the literature have to do with the difference in the type and severity of chronic conditions, the onset of disablement and its progression over time, or a combination of these. To address this, I will assess how chronic conditions differentially impact the process of disablement of veterans over time compared to civilians using latent growth curves (LGC), including analysis of effects on timing and accumulation of disability using latent growth curves with random onset (LGCRO). Onset and growth will be modeled as separate processes, which can identify where and how health disparities unfold over time, providing clearer implications for effective interventions and policy. Data for this project come from the nationally representative, longitudinal Health and Retirement Study. Preliminary findings point to a possible chronic disease-disability paradox between veterans and non-veterans. Final results after all analyses are conducted will provide insight into the role that chronic conditions play in the disablement process and clarify if chronic conditions are predictive of delaying the onset of disability, muting the accumulation once onset occurs, or both, with the intent to inform intervention development and policy decisions that can improve the overall health equity of U.S. veterans.

Author

• Stephanie Ureña, Florida State University