Announcement

Investigating Risk Factors Associated with Chronic Physical and Mental Health Conditions of Veterans in Canada

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Speaker: Mayvis Rebeira

Date/Time: January 16, 10 AM – 12 PM

Abstract:

The study investigates key risk factors that are associated with specific chronic physical and mental health conditions that impact mortality and morbidity of Veterans in Canada. These chronic conditions include pain, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases (ulcers, bowel disorders), respiratory (asthma, COPD, emphysema, bronchitis), cardiovascular (stroke conditions, heart disease, high-blood pressure), musculoskeletal (arthritis, back problems) and mental illness (anxiety, mood disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)). Key risk categories, identified from theory and public health risk framework included educational attainment, military career characteristics (rank, branch), behavioural characteristics, deployment outside Canada, income and demographic characteristics. Probit and multivariate probit analysis were conducted to identify significant determinants for this cohort. The results stress the occupational characteristics notably overseas deployment and being in the land forces as significant factors of chronic physical and mental health conditions of veterans. Other factors included income with low-income veterans facing the highest risk across four chronic physical health conditions and mental health condition. The study provides exploratory insight into research into veterans’ health and policy recommendations to target programs towards high-risk veterans as they transition to civilian life.

Biography:

Mayvis Rebeira is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Health Economics at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Her current research focus is on the economics of longevity and investigating risk factors of mortality using historical data, survey data and analysis of large databases using econometric analysis under the broader framework of rising life expectancies. Mayvis has done research and published in the field of health technology assessments, economic evaluations of drugs and medical devices, evidence value generation and health outcomes research. She has a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Toronto and a graduate business degree from the State University of New York.