Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of BRFSS veterans sample
| |
|
Unemployment quartile |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1st (0.70–3.85) | 2nd (3.86–4.89) | 3rd (4.90–6.33) | 4th (6.33–29.88) | |
|
Observations |
73,964 |
18,596 |
18,169 |
18,662 |
18,537 |
|
Demographics (% or mean) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Male (%) |
92.5 |
92.3 |
92.3 |
93.0 |
92.3 |
| White (%) |
88.5 |
92.3 |
88.8 |
87.7 |
85.2 |
| Black (%) |
6.7 |
4.4 |
5.8 |
8.0 |
8.4 |
| Age in years (SD) |
59.27 (14.76) |
58.33 (14.92) |
59.41 (14.69) |
59.86 (14.66) |
59.48 (14.71) |
| Over 65 (%) |
39.7 |
37.4 |
39.8 |
41.2 |
40.4 |
| Married (%) |
63.7 |
65.3 |
64.6 |
63.1 |
61.8 |
| # Children under 18 (SD) |
0.37 (0.88) |
0.38 (0.90) |
0.37 (0.86) |
0.36 (0.87) |
0.37 (0.89) |
|
Education |
|
|
|
|
|
| < High school (%) |
6.6 |
6.0 |
6.2 |
6.4 |
7.6 |
| High school (%) |
29.2 |
28.1 |
28.9 |
29.4 |
30.5 |
| Attended college (%) |
29.7 |
29.0 |
29.3 |
29.6 |
30.8 |
| Completed college (%) |
34.6 |
37.0 |
35.5 |
34.7 |
31.2 |
| Employed (%) |
40.3 |
44.5 |
41.2 |
38.8 |
36.8 |
|
Income |
|
|
|
|
|
| < $25,000 (%) |
24.5 |
22.2 |
22.5 |
24.7 |
28.8 |
| > = $25,000–$50,000 (%) |
36.0 |
35.6 |
35.6 |
35.9 |
36.8 |
| > = $50,000–$75,000 (%) |
18.7 |
19.5 |
19.2 |
18.9 |
17.1 |
| > = $75,000 (%) |
20.8 |
22.7 |
22.7 |
20.6 |
17.3 |
|
Behavioral characteristics |
|
|
|
|
|
| Vigorous exercise (%) |
76.7 |
77.0 |
77.1 |
76.9 |
75.9 |
|
Smoking status |
|
|
|
|
|
| Current smoker (%) |
21.2 |
20.7 |
20.6 |
21.3 |
22.4 |
| Former smoker (%) |
44.8 |
44.3 |
45.3 |
45.5 |
44.1 |
| Never smoked (%) |
33.9 |
35.0 |
34.0 |
33.2 |
33.5 |
|
Self reported health |
|
|
|
|
|
| Excellent (%) |
18.7 |
20.3 |
19.1 |
18.3 |
17.2 |
| Very Good (%) |
31.2 |
33.1 |
32.0 |
30.3 |
29.5 |
| Good (%) |
31.2 |
30.2 |
30.9 |
32.1 |
31.7 |
| Fair (%) |
12.9 |
11.2 |
12.6 |
13.1 |
14.6 |
| Poor (%) |
5.9 |
5.1 |
5.5 |
6.1 |
7.0 |
| # Physical poor health days (SD) |
4.15 (8.96) |
3.73 (8.51) |
4.00 (8.82) |
4.26 (9.07) |
4.62 (9.41) |
| # Mental poor health days (SD) |
2.56 (7.05) |
2.29 (6.61) |
2.42 (6.89) |
2.67 (7.21) |
2.88 (7.44) |
|
Body mass index (Category) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Underweight (%) |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
| Normal (%) |
28.7 |
30.0 |
28.8 |
28.5 |
27.5 |
| Overweight (%) |
47.0 |
47.1 |
47.1 |
46.9 |
47.0 |
| Obese (30 < = BMI < 40) (%) |
21.9 |
20.7 |
21.9 |
22.2 |
22.9 |
| Severely obese |
|
|
|
|
|
| (BMI > = 40) (%) |
1.6 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
|
County variables |
|
|
|
|
|
| # VA facilities (SD) |
0.89 (1.12) |
0.69 (0.85) |
0.86 (0.88) |
1.08 (1.18) |
0.94 (1.43) |
| Unemployment rate (SD) |
5.26 (2.20) |
3.02 (0.59) |
4.36 (0.29) |
5.55 (0.41) |
8.08 (2.20) |
|
Time effects |
|
|
|
|
|
| Year =2000 (%) |
22.7 |
51.4 |
20.9 |
9.5 |
8.9 |
| Year =2003 (%) |
34.6 |
20.2 |
35.4 |
39.9 |
42.9 |
| Year = 2004 (%) |
42.7 |
28.5 |
43.6 |
50.5 |
48.2 |
|
Receiving VA care |
|
|
|
|
|
| All health care from VA (%) |
7.9 |
7.2 |
7.8 |
7.8 |
8.8 |
| Some health care from VA (%) |
9.5 |
8.8 |
9.5 |
10.3 |
9.5 |
| No health care from VA (%) | 82.6 | 83.9 | 82.7 | 81.9 | 81.8 |
BMI = Body Mass Index; SD = Standard Deviation.