The Vietnam Experience Study was a multidimensional assessment of the health of Vietnam veterans. From a random sample of enlisted men who entered the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1971, 7,924 Vietnam and 7364 non-Vietnam veterans participated in a telephone interview. A random subsample of 2,490 Vietnam and 1,972 non-Vietnam veterans also underwent a comprehensive health examination, including medical examination, laboratory tests, and a psychological evaluation. During the telephone interview, Vietnam veterans reported current and past health problems more frequently than did non-Vietnam veterans. The Vietnam veterans also reported more health problems among their children, including more birth defects, and more problems with impaired fertility.
The results of the medical and laboratory examinations showed few current objective differences in physical health between the two groups. The Vietnam veterans did have more hearing loss. Also, among a subsample of 571 participants who had sem*n samples evaluated, Vietnam veterans had lower sperm concentrations and lower mean proportions of “normal” sperm. Despite differences in sperm characteristics, however, the Vietnam and non-Vietnam veterans had fathered similar numbers of children. An examination of hospital birth records showed that the children of Vietnam veterans were not more likely to have birth defects recorded on hospital birth records than were children of non-Vietnam veterans. The rates of birth defects were similar among children of Vietnam and non-Vietnam veterans. The psychological evaluation found that certain psychological problems were more common among the Vietnam veterans than among non-Vietnam veterans. These problems included depression, anxiety, and combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
Publications
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Volume I, Synopsis
The results of the Vietnam Experience Study (VES), which looked for adverse effects among men who had served in Vietnam, are summarized here.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2854 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2901 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 3042 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 187 KB]
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Volume II, Telephone Interview
This manual provides documentation of the laboratory methods used and the QC results obtained for the bioanalysis of blood, urine, and sem*n specimens from veterans who participated in the Vietnam Experience Study.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2973 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1984 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2235 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1877 KB]
- Part 5 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1506 KB]
- Part 6 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1369 KB]
- Part 7 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1899 KB]
- Part 8 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1544 KB]
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Volume III, Medical Examination
This manual provides documentation of the laboratory methods used and the QC results obtained for the bioanalysis of blood, urine, and sem*n specimens from veterans who participated in the Vietnam Experience Study.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2970 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2951 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2939 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2924 KB]
- Part 5 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2990 KB]
- Part 6 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2952 KB]
- Part 7 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2656 KB]
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Volume IV, Laboratory Psychological and Neuropsychological Evaluation
This manual provides documentation of the laboratory methods used and the QC results obtained for the bioanalysis of blood, urine, and sem*n specimens from veterans who participated in the Vietnam Experience Study.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2981 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2981 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2981 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2951 KB]
- Part 5 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2820 KB]
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Volume V, Reproductive Outcomes and Child Health
This manual provides documentation of the laboratory methods used and the QC results obtained for the bioanalysis of blood, urine, and sem*n specimens from veterans who participated in the Vietnam Experience Study.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2950 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2932 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 3005 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2975 KB]
- Part 5 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2970 KB]
- Part 6 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2925 KB]
- Part 7 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2936 KB]
- Part 8 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2946 KB]
- Part 9 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 949 KB]
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Supplement A, Laboratory Methods and Quality Control
This manual provides documentation of the laboratory methods used and the QC results obtained for the bioanalysis of blood, urine, and sem*n specimens from veterans who participated in the Vietnam Experience Study.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2932 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2941 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2937 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2525 KB]
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Supplement B, Medical and Psychological Data Quality
Learn more about the various methods used to assure the good quality of data collected for the medical and psychological examination components of the Vietnam Experience Study.
Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Supplement C, Medical and Psychological Procedure Manuals and Forms
This supplement provides documentation of medical and psychological examination manuals and data collection forms used for the Vietnam Experience Study.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2948 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2943 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2934 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2979 KB]
- Part 5 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1407 KB]
- Part 6 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2961 KB]
- Part 7 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2954 KB]
- Part 8 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2942 KB]
- Part 9 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2519 KB]
Vietnam Veterans’ Risks for Fathering Babies with Birth Defects
Vietnam veterans’ risks for fathering babies born with major structural birth defects were assessed by using a case-control study design.
- Part 1 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2944 KB]
- Part 2 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2979 KB]
- Part 3 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2942 KB]
- Part 4 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2898 KB]
- Part 5 Cdc-pdf[PDF – 1434 KB]
The Centers for Disease Control Vietnam Experience Study. Health status of Vietnam veterans: I. Psychosocial characteristics. Journal of the American Medical Association 1988;259:2701–7.
The Centers for Disease Control Vietnam Experience Study. Health status of Vietnam veterans: II. Physical health. Journal of the American Medical Association 1988;259:2708–14.
The Centers for Disease Control Vietnam Experience Study. Health status of Vietnam veterans: III. Reproductive outcomes and child health. Journal of the American Medical Association 1988;259:2715–9.
Top of Page
As an expert in the field of veterans' health studies, I have an in-depth understanding of the Vietnam Experience Study, a comprehensive assessment conducted to evaluate the health of Vietnam veterans. My expertise is rooted in a thorough knowledge of the study's methodologies, findings, and associated publications.
The Vietnam Experience Study, undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), focused on a random sample of enlisted men who entered the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1971. The study included 7,924 Vietnam veterans and 7,364 non-Vietnam veterans who participated in a telephone interview. Additionally, a subsample of 2,490 Vietnam and 1,972 non-Vietnam veterans underwent a comprehensive health examination, which involved medical examination, laboratory tests, and psychological evaluation.
During the telephone interview, Vietnam veterans reported current and past health problems more frequently than non-Vietnam veterans. This trend extended to health issues among their children, including more birth defects and problems with impaired fertility. However, the medical and laboratory examinations revealed few objective differences in physical health between the two groups, except for higher rates of hearing loss among Vietnam veterans.
The study also delved into reproductive outcomes, examining sem*n samples from a subset of participants. Vietnam veterans showed lower sperm concentrations and lower proportions of "normal" sperm. Despite these differences, both Vietnam and non-Vietnam veterans had fathered similar numbers of children. Hospital birth records did not indicate a higher likelihood of birth defects among the children of Vietnam veterans.
The psychological evaluation revealed that certain mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder, were more common among Vietnam veterans than their non-Vietnam counterparts.
The findings of the Vietnam Experience Study are documented in multiple volumes, such as "Health Status of Vietnam Veterans: Volume I, Synopsis," "Volume II, Telephone Interview," "Volume III, Medical Examination," "Volume IV, Laboratory Psychological and Neuropsychological Evaluation," and "Volume V, Reproductive Outcomes and Child Health." These volumes provide detailed information on laboratory methods, quality control results, and various aspects of the study's design and execution.
Moreover, supplemental materials like "Supplement A, Laboratory Methods and Quality Control," "Supplement B, Medical and Psychological Data Quality," and "Supplement C, Medical and Psychological Procedure Manuals and Forms" offer additional insights into the study's methodologies and data collection procedures.
To further explore the Vietnam Experience Study, one can refer to the specific publications mentioned in the article, including those in the Journal of the American Medical Association from 1988. These publications include "Psychosocial Characteristics," "Physical Health," and "Reproductive Outcomes and Child Health," providing a comprehensive overview of the study's key findings.
In conclusion, the Vietnam Experience Study stands as a significant contribution to understanding the health outcomes of Vietnam veterans, covering various aspects of physical, reproductive, and psychological well-being.
