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Personal Medication Preparedness Among Veteran and Nonveteran Men and Women in the California Population
- Kevin C. Heslin, June L. Gin, Melissa K. Afable, Karen Ricci, Aram Dobalian
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- Journal:
- Prehospital and Disaster Medicine / Volume 28 / Issue 4 / August 2013
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 April 2013, pp. 359-366
- Print publication:
- August 2013
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- Article
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Introduction
The health of people with chronic medical conditions is particularly vulnerable to the disruptions caused by public health disasters, especially when there is massive damage to the medical infrastructure. Government agencies and national organizations recommend that people with chronic illness prepare for disasters by stockpiling extra supplies of medications.
ProblemA wide range of chronic illnesses has long been documented among veterans of the US armed forces. Veterans with chronic illness could be at great risk of complications due to disaster-related medication disruptions; however, the prevalence of personal medication preparedness among chronically ill veterans is not currently known.
MethodsData was used from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey on 28,167 respondents who reported taking daily medications. After adjusting for differences in age, health status, and other characteristics, calculations were made of the percentage of respondents who had a two-week supply of emergency medications and, among respondents without a supply, the percentage who said they could obtain one. Veteran men, veteran women, nonveteran men, and nonveteran women were compared.
ResultsMedication supplies among veteran men (81.9%) were higher than among nonveteran women (74.8%; P < .0001) and veteran women (81.1%; P = 0.014). Among respondents without medication supplies, 67.2% of nonveteran men said that they could obtain a two-week supply, compared with 60.1% of nonveteran women (P = .012).
DiscussionAmong adults in California with chronic illness, veteran men are more likely to have personal emergency medication supplies than are veteran and nonveteran women. Veteran men may be more likely to be prepared because of their training to work in combat zones and other emergency situations, which perhaps engenders in them a culture of preparedness or self-reliance. It is also possible that people who choose to enlist in the military are different from the general population in ways that make them more likely to be better prepared for emergencies.
ConclusionVeterans in California have a relatively high level of emergency medication preparedness. Given the health complications that can result from disaster-related medication disruptions, this is a promising finding. Disasters are a national concern, however, and the personal preparedness of veterans in all parts of the nation should be assessed; these findings could serve as a useful reference point for such work in the future.
. ,Heslin K ,Gin J ,Afable M ,Ricci K .Dobalian A Personal Medication Preparedness Among Veteran and Nonveteran Men and Women in the California Population . Prehosp Disaster Med.2013 ;28 (4 ):1 -8
Confidence in the Fairness of Local Public Health Systems’ Response to Disasters: The US Veterans’ Perspective
- Kevin C. Heslin, Deborah Riopelle, June L. Gin, John Ordunez, Diana E. Naranjo, Aram Dobalian
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- Journal:
- Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness / Volume 7 / Issue 1 / February 2013
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 25 April 2013, pp. 75-81
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Objective
The effectiveness of local public health systems in emergency management depends on trust from the entire community. However, the failure of some government agencies to respond effectively to several major disasters has had a disproportionate impact on certain groups-racial/ethnic minorities, in particular-that are well-represented in the veteran population. Many veterans belong to multiple vulnerable populations at greater risk of harm during disasters. This study examines confidence that local public health systems will respond fairly to disasters in a diverse sample of US veterans.
MethodsThis study is an analysis of cross-sectional data on 5955 veterans in the 2009 California Health Interview Survey. Respondents were asked about their confidence that public health systems would respond fairly to their needs in the event of a disaster, regardless of their race/ethnicity or other personal characteristics. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify variables on respondent characteristics that were independently associated with confidence. The hypothesis was that there would be less confidence in county public health systems among respondents who were racial/ethnic minorities, had less than a college degree, and were of low-income backgrounds.
ResultsApproximately 79% of veterans were confident that public health systems would respond fairly. The hypothesis was unsupported, with no differences in confidence by race/ethnicity, education, or income. Also, no differences were noted between men and women or between veterans with and without disabilities. However, confidence was associated with continent of birth, age, homeownership, and marital status.
ConclusionIf confidence affects veterans’ willingness to accept disaster preparedness communications or to give proper consideration to recommended emergency countermeasures, then local health departments that issue such information to veterans are not likely to encounter barriers by race/ethnicity, income, education, disability status, or gender.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:75-81)