The White Falcon - 25.10.1985, Page 5

New survey provides data on women veterans
WASHINGTON (AFNS) — Most women veterans do not
appear to suffer serious problems of readjustment
after leaving service, and a vast majority report
that they are in good or excellent health.
These are among the findings of a survey de-
signed to provide the Veterans Administration
with information on the present and anticipated
future use of VA facilities by women veterans.
The survey, conducted by Louis Harris andAsso-
ciates Inc. of New York, involved interviews with
3,003 women veterans around the country. The ef-
fort began in February 1984.
Based on U.S. Census data, there are 1.1 mil-
lion women veterans who make up 4.1 percent of
the veteran population of the United States.
The survey is part of the VA's effort to ensure
that eligible women veterans receive care and ben-
efits equal to those of male veterans.
In the health area, the survey indicates:
-- Women veterans have approximately the same
prevalence of most chronic diseases as otherwomen
in the same age group.
-- The age-specific rates of arthritis, hyper-
tension and cerebral vascular disease appear to be
significantly lower among women veterans than all
women, particularly after age 65.
The lifetime prevalence of cancer among women
veterans (9 percent) is nearly twice as high as a-
mong the general population of adult women (5 per-
cent) .
-- Other age-specific disease prevalence rates
differ between male and female veterans, with gy-
necological problems among the most prevalent
health conditions for women veterans.
Use of the VA hospital and health care systems
by women veterans was given special attention in
the study.
-- One out of 10 women veterans has been a pa-
tient overnight or longer in a VA hospital since
leaving the service.
-- Two percent of the women report receiving
in-patient care in a VA hospital sometime during
the year prior to the survey. In addition, 1 per-
cent were patients overnight or longer in non-VA
facilities but had some portion of their bill
paid by the VA in the year prior to the survey.
-- Women veterans have a lower rate of usage of
VA medical facilities compared to male veterans of
the same age, particularly those of older age.
-- Nearly three of 10 women veterans who have
not used a VA hospital explain that they have ne-
ver needed any hospitalization.
Neither the image of VA hospital care nor the
distance to the nearest VA facility appears to be
a barrier. Nearly half of all women veterans (49
percent) believe that the quality of care in VA
hospitals is excellent or good. Those who have
used VA facilities are even more likely to give
the quality of care a positive rating.
Overall, women veterans have made less use of
verterans benefits than male veterans. The pro-
grams most widely used are the GI Bill (39 per-
cent), the guaranteed home loan program (23 per-
cent) and the life insurance program (19percent)..
The low rate of usage of VA programs by women
veterans seems to reflect a problem of benefit a-
wareness rather than preference. By preference.
By comparision with male veterans from the same
period of service, women veterans' level of pro-
gram awareness was lower on eight of 10 programs.
Among those who have used the programs and bene-
fits, women veterans seem to be generally satis-
fied with most of them.
Anticipated future use of VA facilities and
programs is somewhat higher than current usage. A-
mong the women veterans surveyed:
-- Almost four of 10 (39 percent) say they ex-
pect to use the home loan program within the next
10 years.
-- Twenty-nine percent say they expect to use VA
facilities for outpatient treatment and 27 percent
for dental care.
-- Twenty-one percent say they expect to use
medical care programs available to veterans age 65
and over, and 13 percent say they will use those
programs for veterans with low income status.
-- Sixteen percent expect to use nursing home
care.
-- Eleven percent will take advantage of the
pension program for wartime veterans.
Billboard magazine's top five hits
Soul
Country
Hot 100
1. Part-Time Lover -- Stevie
Wonder
2. You Are My Lady -- Freddie
Jackson
3. I Wish He Didn't Trust Me
So Much -- Bobby Womack
4. Single Life -- Cameo
5. The Show -- Doug E. And The
Get Fresh Crew
1. You Make Me Want To Make You
Mine -- Juice Newton
2. Touch A hand, Make A Friend
— The Oak Ridge Boys
3. Some Fools Never Learn --
Steve Wariner
4. Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes
— George Jones
5. A Long And Lasting Love --
Crystal Gayle
1. Take On Me -- A-Ha
2. Saving All My Love For You
-- Whitney Houston
3. Part-Time Lover — Stevie
Wonder
4. Oh Sheila -- Ready For The
World
5. Miami Vice Theme -- Jan
Hammer
The White Falcon October 25, 1985
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