Page 24 - Delaware Medical Journal - March/April 2021

Multiple Chronic Conditions Among U.S. Veterans, 2015-2018
Sangeeta Gupta, MD, MPH
Background: Multiple chronic conditions (MCC)
among veterans are a growing health concern. Limited exploration of MCC using reported veteran status in
the U.S. civilian population is available. The objectives
of this study were to (1) explore the prevalence of MCC
in veterans, including stateside distribution and most commonly occurring disease combinations, and (2) compare the prevalence of MCC among veterans and non- veterans by select socio-demographic characteristics.
Methods: Combined data for 2015 through 2018 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (n=1,814,571) were analyzed in 2019-2020. Veterans were categorized as having zero, one, two, or three or more of 12 diagnosed chronic conditions: angina, arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, obesity, and stroke. Weighted estimates were calculated.
Results: Nearly 73% of veterans have at least one of the
12 chronic conditions examined. Furthermore, nearly one in two veterans reported MCC compared to one in three non-veterans (p<.001). Prevalence of MCC in veterans was also significantly higher across race, sex, and age group categories (p<.0001). The arthritis/obesity dyad and the angina/heart attack/high cholesterol triad were the most prevalent MCC combinations in veterans. State-level
MCC prevalence for veterans ranged from 58.5% in West Virginia to 38.1% in Hawaii. MCC prevalence in 13 states was higher than the national average.
Conclusions: This study explored in depth a segment of the U.S. civilian population — veterans — who have a higher prevalence of MCC. Ongoing research to improve MCC characterization of veterans, including delineation of regional disparities, can facilitate targeted interventions.
Keywords: veterans, multiple chronic conditions, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, prevalence, dyad, triad
72 Del Med J | March/April 2021 | Vol. 93 | No. 2
Abstract