Table 4.
Association of GWI case status with Gulf War deployment experiences and exposures.
| Deployment Experiences/Exposures | % Exposed | OR (95% CI) (Unadjusted) |
OR (95% CI) (Adjusted) 1 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GWI Cases (n = 223) |
GW Controls (n = 46) |
|||
| Regular smoker during deployment | 27% | 24% | 1.20 (0.57–2.52) | 1.14 (0.45–2.88) |
| Saw smoke from oil well fires | ||||
| Ever | 87% | 83% | 1.41 (0.60–3.32) | 0.74 (0.26–2.09) |
| ≥7 days | 66% | 57% | 1.47 (0.77–2.80) | 0.92 (0.41–2.06) |
| Heard chemical alarms sounded | ||||
| Ever | 86% | 72% | 2.43 (1.15–5.14) * | 0.67 (0.25–1.80) |
| ≥7 days | 50% | 28% | 2.56 (1.28–5.14) * | 1.36 (0.58–3.16) |
| Within 1 mile of exploding SCUD missile | ||||
| Ever | 50% | 33% | 2.05 (1.05–4.01) * | 1.24 (0.54–2.86) |
| ≥7 days | 15% | 7% | 2.60 (0.76–8.87) | 2.10 (0.40–11.14) |
| Directly involved in ground combat | ||||
| Ever | 45% | 33% | 1.70 (0.87–3.33) | 0.69 (0.29–1.64) |
| ≥7 days | 21% | 15% | 1.47 (0.62–3.52) | 0.44 (0.15–1.32) |
| Directly involved in air combat | ||||
| Ever | 10% | 7% | 1.56 (0.44–5.47) | 1.38 (0.30–6.38) |
| Saw U.S. troops badly wounded or killed | ||||
| Ever | 54% | 37% | 2.00 (1.04–3.85) * | 0.79 (0.34–1.81) |
| ≥7 days | 22% | 13% | 1.87 (0.75–4.67) | 1.01 (0.33–3.10) |
| Saw Iraqis badly wounded or killed | ||||
| Ever | 72% | 57% | 1.99 (1.03–3.82) * | 0.73 (0.31–1.70) |
| ≥7 days | 33% | 26% | 1.37 (0.67–2.80) | 0.80 (0.33–1.96) |
| Contact with prisoners of war | ||||
| Ever | 59% | 46% | 1.69 (0.89–3.20) | 0.99 (0.44–2.22) |
| ≥7 days | 32% | 24% | 1.47 (0.71–3.07) | 1.29 (0.50–3.32) |
| Saw dead animals | ||||
| Ever | 72% | 59% | 1.78 (0.92–3.43) | 0.76 (0.31–1.83) |
| ≥7 days | 32% | 26% | 1.34 (0.65–2.74) | 0.39 (0.15–1.06) |
| Saw destroyed enemy vehicles | ||||
| Ever | 85% | 72% | 2.25 (1.07–4.74) * | 0.95 (0.36–2.50) |
| ≥7 days | 57% | 39% | 2.04 (1.06–3.91) * | 0.68 (0.29–1.60) |
| Contact with destroyed enemy vehicles | ||||
| Ever | 71% | 46% | 2.87 (1.50–5.50) * | 1.45 (0.61–3.43) |
| ≥7 days | 40% | 24% | 2.12 (1.02–4.40) * | 0.91 (0.36–2.27) |
| Contact with American vehicles hit by friendly fire | ||||
| Ever | 37% | 28% | 1.47 (0.73–2.97) | 0.71 (0.28–1.82) |
| ≥7 days | 15% | 17% | 0.86 (0.37–2.01) | 0.32 (0.10–1.03) |
| Used pesticides cream/spray on skin | ||||
| Ever | 74% | 43% | 3.69 (1.91–7.13) ** | 1.87 (0.87–4.02) |
| ≥7 days | 65% | 26% | 5.18 (2.53–10.59) ** | 3.25 (1.44–7.34) * |
| Wore uniform treated with pesticides | ||||
| Ever | 53% | 35% | 2.16 (1.11–4.19) * | 0.92 (0.36–2.40) |
| ≥7 days | 47% | 24% | 2.82 (1.36–5.84) * | 1.19 (0.40–3.54) |
| Wore flea collars | ||||
| Ever | 15% | 4% | 3.85 (0.89–16.67) | 2.04 (0.38–10.86) |
| Saw living area sprayed/fogged with pesticides | ||||
| Ever | 40% | 24% | 2.12 (1.02–4.40) * | 0.91 (0.37–2.24) |
| ≥7 days | 23% | 11% | 2.48 (0.93–6.63) | 1.17 (0.35–3.89) |
| Received one or more shots in arm in theater | 75% | 59% | 2.52 (1.29–4.92) * | 1.57 (0.70–3.51) |
| Received one or more shots in buttocks in theater | 53% | 37% | 2.24 (1.16–4.32) * | 1.23 (0.54–2.79) |
| Used pyridostigmine bromide (NAPP) pills | ||||
| Ever | 82% | 67% | 2.25 (1.11–4.58) * | 0.60 (0.23–1.56) |
| ≥7 days | 53% | 37% | 1.89 (0.98–3.64) | 1.08 (0.49–2.38) |
| Contact with fresh CARC paint | ||||
| Ever | 46% | 13% | 5.55 (2.25–13.65) ** | 2.13 (0.73–6.23) |
| ≥7 days | 27% | 11% | 2.96 (1.11–7.85) * | 0.97 (0.30–3.09) |
| Experienced one or more mTBIs during deployment | 37% | 7% | 8.33 (2.50–27.72) ** | 7.39 (1.64–33.28) * |
Note: 1 Adjusted for use of skin pesticides ≥ 7 days, mTBI during deployment, age, rank, PTSD. * = significant association, p < 0.05; ** = significant association, p < 0.001. Abbreviations: GW = Gulf War; GWI = Gulf War illness, OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; NAPP = nerve agent pyridostigmine pretreatment; CARC = chemical agent resistant coating; mTBI = mild traumatic brain injury; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder.