Military Service and Aging Baby Boomers: A Life Course Approach to Aging Vietnam Veterans

• In Event: 084 - Student Forum Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 03. Politics and Cultural Influence

Abstract

Relatively little is known about the long-term impacts of serving in the Vietnam War on the health of baby boomers. About 10 percent of baby boomer males served in Vietnam so its effects could have substantial implications for the kinds of policies needed to address baby boomers as they transition into retirement. Studies show that veterans of previous conflicts, particularly World War II and the Korean War, experienced better physical health than their nonveteran counterparts during their older years. It may be, then, that baby boomer veterans who fought in Vietnam are also healthier than nonveteran baby boomers. On the other hand, there was less public support for the Vietnam War compared to these previous wars, including substantial anti-war sentiment and less public support for veterans returning from Vietnam. Using male respondents from the Life and Family Legacies study, a representative sample of Washington state high school juniors and seniors which began in 1966 with follow-up surveys in 1980 and 2010, I compare self-reported physical and mental health of veterans and nonveterans. This study examines variables such as activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and post-traumatic stress disorder. I hypothesize that these baby boomer veterans will have worse health outcomes than nonveterans. Considering the size of the baby boom cohort, the need and cost of health care for veterans could be substantial if the health outcomes prove to be lower.

Author

• Miles Marsala, Brigham Young University