Table 1 Demographic characteristics: comparison of VA Total Population, VA Utilizers, and DOD OEF/OIF/OND populations, 2002–2011
From: Erosion of the healthy soldier effect in veterans of US military service in Iraq and Afghanistan
| Variable | Variable Veterans Administration (VA), 2002-2011 | Department of Defense (DOD) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA total population | VA utilizers | VA non-utilizers | ||||||
| N | %/mean (s.d.) | N | %/mean (s.d.) | N | %/mean (s.d.) | N | %/mean (s.d.) | |
| All | 899,737 | 765,029 | 134,708 | 4,614,304 | ||||
| Age | ||||||||
| <24 | 499,332 | 55.5% | 421,226 | 55.0% | 78,106 | 58.0% | 2,735,575 | 59.3% |
| 25-29 | 100,839 | 11.2% | 85,866 | 11.2% | 14,973 | 11.1% | 602,127 | 13.0% |
| 30-39 | 198,579 | 22.1% | 169,845 | 22.2% | 28,734 | 21.3% | 841,902 | 18.2% |
| 40-72 | 100,987 | 11.2% | 88,092 | 11.5% | 12,895 | 9.6% | 432,643 | 9.4% |
| Missing | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2,057 | 0.0% |
| Median Age 2002-2010 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 30.0 | 23.8 | ||||
| Mean Age 2002-2010 | 34.2 (9.6) | 34.4 (9.5) | 33.1 (9.7) | 27.2 (10.7) | ||||
| Sex | ||||||||
| Female | 106,300 | 11.8% | 92,919 | 12.1% | 13,381 | 9.9% | 775,155 | 16.8% |
| Male | 793,437 | 88.2% | 672,110 | 87.9% | 121,327 | 90.1% | 3,838,932 | 83.2% |
| Missing | - | - | - | - | - | - | 217 | 0.0% |
| Race 1 | ||||||||
| Hispanic | 96,100 | 10.7% | 84,830 | 11.1% | 11,270 | 8.4% | 397,942 | 8.6% |
| White, Non-Hispanic | 546,952 | 60.8% | 465,745 | 60.9% | 81,207 | 60.3% | 3,436,481 | 74.5% |
| Black, Non-Hispanic | 122,505 | 13.6% | 109,513 | 14.3% | 12,992 | 9.6% | 781,547 | 16.9% |
| Other, Non-Hispanic | 35,800 | 4.0% | 30,660 | 4.0% | 5,140 | 3.8% | 189,934 | 4.1% |
| Unknown | 98,380 | 10.9% | 74,281 | 9.7% | 24,099 | 17.9% | 206,342 | 4.5% |
| Marital Status | ||||||||
| Married | 401,489 | 44.6% | 343,400 | 44.9% | 58,089 | 43.1% | 1,511,015 | 32.7% |
| Not Married | 498,095 | 55.4% | 421,571 | 55.1% | 76,524 | 56.9% | 3,092,140 | 67.0% |
| Missing | 153 | 0.0% | 58 | 0.0% | 95 | 0.0% | 11,149 | 0.2% |
| Education | ||||||||
| < High School | 13,862 | 1.50% | 10,594 | 1.4% | 3,268 | 2.4% | 63,987 | 1.4% |
| High School | 664,827 | 73.90% | 572,804 | 74.9% | 92,023 | 68.3% | 3,530,639 | 76.5% |
| > High School | 209,203 | 23.30% | 171,737 | 22.4% | 37,466 | 27.8% | 879,414 | 19.1% |
| Missing | 11,845 | 1.30% | 9,894 | 1.3% | 1,951 | 1.5% | 140,264 | 3.0% |
| Rank | ||||||||
| Enlisted | 811,905 | 90.2% | 695,385 | 90.9% | 116,520 | 86.5% | 4,152,416 | 90.0% |
| Officer | 78,185 | 8.7% | 61,532 | 8.0% | 16,653 | 12.4% | 435,614 | 9.4% |
| Warrant Officer | 9,647 | 1.1% | 8,112 | 1.1% | 1,535 | 1.1% | 26,274 | 0.6% |
| Component of Service | ||||||||
| Active Duty | 478,304 | 53.2% | 434,618 | 56.8% | 43,686 | 32.4% | 2,925,780 | 63.4% |
| National Guard | 260,006 | 28.9% | 205,024 | 26.8% | 54,982 | 40.8% | 910,902 | 19.7% |
| Reserve | 161,427 | 17.9% | 125,387 | 16.4% | 36,040 | 26.8% | 777,622 | 16.9% |
| Branch of Service | ||||||||
| Army | 553,267 | 61.5% | 466,881 | 61.0% | 86,386 | 64.1% | 2,257,184 | 48.9% |
| Coast Guard | 1,103 | 10.0% | 821 | 0.1% | 282 | 20.0% | 0.0% | |
| Air Force | 112,573 | 12.5% | 95,608 | 12.5% | 16,965 | 12.6% | 932,868 | 20.2% |
| Marines | 116,393 | 12.9% | 102,089 | 13.3% | 14,304 | 10.6% | 560,960 | 12.2% |
| Navy | 116,401 | 12.9% | 99,630 | 13.0% | 16,771 | 12.5% | 863,292 | 18.7% |