Subjective well-being among male veterans in later life: the enduring effects of early life adversity

Yang, Min-Wen; Quach, Lien; Lee, Lewina O.; Spiro, Avron; Burr, Jeffrey A.

doi:10.1080/13607863.2020.1842999

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Previous research on general population noted that adverse childhood experience, such as physical abuse or having a family member with mental illness, predicted lower life satisfaction in adulthood (Hughes et al, 2016 ; Nurius, Logan-Greene, & Green, 2012 ). Similarly, Yang, Quach, Lee, Spiro, and Burr ( 2020 ) demonstrated that childhood adversity was negatively associated with life satisfaction among male veterans. In addition, longitudinal studies showed that individuals who grew up in a family environment that is characterized by intimacy had better psychological well-being in later life (An & Cooney, 2006 ; Lee et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Based on the research finding that showed a negative association between childhood adversities and life satisfaction in later life (Yang et al, 2020 ), we hypothesized that prior stressors would be negatively associated with life satisfaction among Korean Vietnam War veterans. The association of childhood family environments with life satisfaction has been little examined among veterans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Life satisfaction of Korean Vietnam War Veterans in later life: A lifespan approach

Lee

Kang

Choun

et al. 2022

Military Psychology

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The current study examined correlates of life satisfaction among Korean Vietnam War Veterans. The sample included 450 male Veterans from the Korean Vietnam War Veterans Study, surveyed by mail in 2013 ( Mean age = 67.4 years old, SD = 3.0). A hierarchical analysis was conducted by entering four blocks of variables: first demographic factors, and then pre-military service, military service, and post-military service variables. Each successive regression analysis showed a significant additional contribution to the variance in life satisfaction. In the final model, Korean Veterans had higher life satisfaction when they were married, had higher monthly income and poorer childhood family environment, appraised their military service in a positive light, and had less stressors after homecoming and better perceived physical health. However, combat exposure and social support after homecoming were not independently associated with life satisfaction in the final model. These results imply that both pre- and post-military service factors, as well as cognitive appraisals of military service, should be considered in understanding the subjective well-being of Korean Vietnam War Veterans in later life.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life satisfaction of Korean Vietnam War Veterans in later life: A lifespan approach

Lee

Kang

Choun

et al. 2022

Military Psychology

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“…A life-course framework recognizes differential exposure to adversity over the life span and its relevance for health and aging disparities ( Yang et al, 2022 ). Schafer (2009 :76) observes, “subjective age, like most processes in adulthood, does not materialize in an instant, but stems from lifelong, socially-embedded developmental experiences.” This follows stress proliferation models, which view morbidities and accelerated aging as linked to compounding adversities over time ( Benson, 2014 ; Pearlin et al, 2005 ).…”

Section: Background and Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

War-Related Life Course Stress and Late-Life Subjective Age in Northern Vietnam

Korinek,

Young,

Schmidt

et al. 2024

Innovation in Aging

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Background and Objectives The role of early life stressors in subjective aging is weakly understood, especially in low- to middle-income countries. This paper investigated how early life stressors encountered in armed conflict influence subjective age among Vietnamese older adults who experienced war over decades of their early life. Research Design and Methods We analyzed survey data from the 2018 Vietnam Health and Aging Study involving 2,447 Vietnamese older adults who encountered diverse war-related stressors in early adulthood. The analytical sample (N=2,341) included 50.9% women and 49.1% men, with an average age of 69.8. 41.1% are military veterans. We conducted survey-adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses with mediation to predict the probability of feeling younger or older than one’s chronological age. We examined how childhood adversity (i.e., childhood hunger and low parental SES) and wartime stressors (i.e., war-related violence, malevolent environment, and military service) influenced late-life subjective age, both directly and as mediated by late-life mental, functional, and physical health. Results We found significant associations between early adulthood war-related stressors and subjective age. Formal military service significantly lessened the relative risk of feeling subjectively old, and more plentiful wartime violence exposures significantly increased the risk of feeling younger than one’s chronological age. Violence exposure’s effects were both direct and indirect through functional and mental health. Conversely, greater exposure to wartime malevolent conditions (e.g., shortages of clean water and evacuations) and multiple episodes of severe hunger in childhood increased the risk of feeling older, effects both direct and mediated by late-life functional and mental health. Discussion and Implications Results suggest wartime stressors, especially war’s malevolent environments and severe childhood hunger, experienced in many conflict-affected populations globally, have the potential to subjectively ‘age’ survivors. Yet, not all war exposures are equal, and some may yield psychological and socioeconomic resources that support healthy aging.

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“…Additionally, it includes an extra item to gauge any other exceptionally stressful event not covered by the initial 16 items. In addition, adverse childhood events before the age of 18 will be assessed using six items from Yang et al (2020). These items comprise yes/no responses to the following questions: 'Before age 16, would you say your family during that time was pretty well off financially, about average, or poor?…”

Section: Neuropsychological and Psychosocial Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Brain and Endocrinological Research – Veteran (FemBER-Vet) Study: A study protocol for identifying endocrinological, lifestyle and psychosocial determinants of brain health outcomes in female veterans for future intervention success

Watermeyer,

Atkinson,

Howatson

et al. 2024

Preprint

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BackgroundRecent studies have demonstrated a greater risk of dementia in female veterans compared to civilians; with the highest prevalence noted for former service women with a diagnosis of psychiatric (trauma, alcoholism, depression), and/or a physical health condition (brain injury, insomnia, diabetes). Such findings highlight the need for increased and early screening of medical and psychiatric conditions, and indeed dementia, in the female veteran population. Further, they call for a better understanding of the underlying biopsychosocial mechanisms that might confer heightened risk for female veterans, to tailor preventative and interventional strategies that support brain health across the lifespan.MethodsThe Female Brain and Endocrinological Research – Veteran (FemBER-Vet) Study will create a highly-phenotyped readiness cohort of ex-service persons as well as non-veterans to assess the impacts of, and risks associated with, military service on brain health, using state-of-the-art non-invasive cognitive, physiological and biomarker capture techniques. FEMBER-Vet will include 90 participants across three study groups (30 female veterans, 30 male veterans, 30 female civilians) to delineate the precise biological, socio-demographic, health, lifestyle, military-related, and life-course determinants of brain health outcomes (psychosocial, cognitive, neurophysiological, and other biomarkers).DiscussionThis work addresses the poorly understood biopsychosocial outcomes that female veterans experience compared to their male counterparts and the general female population. Ultimately, it will provide evidence to support the development of tailored interventions for an emerging health priority that currently lacks sufficient evidence for screening and therapeutic intervention.

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Subjective well-being among male veterans in later life: the enduring effects of early life adversity

Cited by 9 publications

References 58 publications

Life satisfaction of Korean Vietnam War Veterans in later life: A lifespan approach

Life satisfaction of Korean Vietnam War Veterans in later life: A lifespan approach

War-Related Life Course Stress and Late-Life Subjective Age in Northern Vietnam

Female Brain and Endocrinological Research – Veteran (FemBER-Vet) Study: A study protocol for identifying endocrinological, lifestyle and psychosocial determinants of brain health outcomes in female veterans for future intervention success

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