Table 1.
Descriptive Characteristics of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans Who Participated in the 2003-2005 Follow-Up Surveya
| Characteristicb | Gulf War, No. (%) (n = 6,111) | Gulf Era, No. (%) (n = 3,859) |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||
| Male | 4,886 (79.9) | 3,008 (78.0) |
| Female | 1,225 (20.1) | 851 (22.0) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| White | 4,654 (76.3) | 3,131 (81.2) |
| Black | 1,011 (16.6) | 496 (12.9) |
| Hispanic | 266 (4.3) | 129 (3.4) |
| Other | 171 (2.8) | 97 (2.5) |
| Branch of service | ||
| Air Force | 745 (12.2) | 534 (13.9) |
| Army | 3,938 (64.4) | 2,480 (64.3) |
| Marine Corps | 642 (10.5) | 360 (9.3) |
| Navy | 786 (12.9) | 483 (12.5) |
| Unit component | ||
| Active | 2,180 (35.7) | 1,538 (39.9) |
| National Guard | 1,774 (29.0) | 1,037 (26.9) |
| Reserve | 2,157 (35.3) | 1,282 (33.2) |
| Rank | ||
| Enlisted | 5,151 (84.3) | 2,943 (76.3) |
| Officer | 874 (14.3) | 831 (21.6) |
| Warrant officer | 86 (1.4) | 83 (2.1) |
| Education | ||
| <High school | 76 (1.3) | 46 (1.2) |
| High school, GED, or equivalent | 1,148 (19.0) | 538 (14.2) |
| Some college, no degree | 2,021 (33.5) | 1,062 (28.0) |
| Associate degree | 803 (13.3) | 515 (13.5) |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,205 (20.0) | 897 (23.6) |
| Master's, doctorate, or professional degree | 778 (12.9) | 739 (19.5) |
| Income, $ | ||
| <20,000 | 558 (9.5) | 243 (6.5) |
| 20,000-34,999 | 974 (16.5) | 535 (14.3) |
| 35,000-49,999 | 1,271 (21.5) | 707 (18.9) |
| 50,000-74,999 | 1,578 (26.7) | 978 (26.1) |
| 75,000-99,999 | 783 (13.3) | 578 (15.4) |
| ≥100,000 | 739 (12.5) | 705 (18.8) |
| Average number of drinks per week | ||
| 0 (nondrinker) | 1,687 (28.4) | 1,102 (29.3) |
| 1-2 (light drinker) | 1,877 (31.6) | 1,231 (32.8) |
| 3-8 (moderate drinker) | 1,389 (23.4) | 880 (23.4) |
| 9-14 (moderate drinker) | 501 (8.4) | 291 (7.7) |
| ≥15 (heavy drinker) | 479 (8.1) | 255 (6.8) |
| Problem drinking | ||
| Yes | 997 (16.4) | 461 (12.0) |
| No | 5,093 (83.6) | 3,384 (88.0) |
Abbreviation: GED, general education diploma.
a
Data are self-reported. Some categories may not sum to total because of missing data.
b
In 2005, mean age of Gulf War veterans (n = 6,102) was 45.5 years, and mean age of Gulf Era veterans (n = 3,857) was 47.6 years.