Grant: Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data

An estimated 600,000 Canadian Forces Veterans are alive today including approximately 75,000 from WWII and 9,000 from the Korean War. Little is known, however, about the physical and/or mental health of this population subgroup as they age and whether the trajectory of aging is different from that amongst those who did not serve in the military. In Canada we are in a unique position to study this issue within the largest study of aging conducted in Canada, the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). As part of the baseline interview in the CLSA, a set of 4 veteran identifier questions was asked at baseline of all 51,000 participants. The questions asked about the branch of the military (e.g. army, navy, air force), when the military service took place, and the length of time in the military. Participants also provided detailed information on their physical and mental health. Of the 51,000 participants, 4500 self reported as Veterans and military service was reported to be as early as 1941. The goal of this project is to describe the baseline physical and mental health of the CLSA participants who self-identified as veterans. It is of interest to examine any differences in health status across branches of service as well as in relation to the duration of service and time since release from the military. This project will be the first part of the Veterans' Health Initiative within the CLSA which will continue to follow these individuals over the next 20 years.