Body Mass Index Stratified Physical and Psychological Correlates Among Vietnam Veterans

Background: Physical and mental health conditions are prevalent among Veterans. Less is known, however, about the relationship between body weight status and physical, mental, and behavioral conditions among Vietnam Veterans. Methods: Veterans completed a battery of self-report questionnaires (onlin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Md.), 2023-11, Vol.31, p.272-273
Main Authors: Chacko, Thomas, Minnick, Alyssa, Faith, Myles, Broderick, Gordon, Allison, Kelly
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Body mass index
Insomnia
Mental disorders
Mental health
Post traumatic stress disorder
Sleep apnea
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Summary:Background: Physical and mental health conditions are prevalent among Veterans. Less is known, however, about the relationship between body weight status and physical, mental, and behavioral conditions among Vietnam Veterans. Methods: Veterans completed a battery of self-report questionnaires (online or paper) as part of a larger cross-sectional study (N = 350; AgeMean = 74.4; SD = 3.6) to assess weight status, eating behaviors, sleep, mental health symptoms, and wellbeing. Results: Veterans were mostly White (95%), male (97.7%), from Army (55%), with some or two-year college (43%), with a pre-tax household income of 50,000 to 99,999 (50%), and currently married (76%). Veterans' BMIMean was 29.9 (SD = 5.7; Min = 19.2-Max = 60.8). Pearson correlation analyses indicated significant and positive associations between body mass index (BMI) and pain (r = 0.22), insomnia symptoms (r = 0.18), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA; r = 0.54), night eating (r = 0.21), emotional eating (r = 0.19), and depression (r = 0.21). BMI had significant negative relationships with social support (r = -0.14), and resilience (r= -19). There were no significant findings between BMI and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, combat experience, and post-traumatic growth. When stratified by BMI, Normal weight (BMI = 19.2-24.9; n = 52) was not significantly associated with other variables, although the trends were in expected directions. Overweight (BMI = 25-29.8; n = 147) was significantly associated with insomnia (r = 0.17), emotional overeating (r = 0.20), OSA (r = 0.19), and depression (r = 0.22). Finally, obesity (BMI = 30-60; n = 151) was significantly associated with OSA (r = 0.38), and pain level (r = 0.22). Conclusions: Among older Veterans, BMI is related to distinct physical and psychological variables. Insights from the current study can inform clinical and empirical endeavors for the health benefits of older Veterans.
ISSN:1930-7381
1930-739X