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Long-Term Health Effects of Participation in Project SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense) (2007) / Chapter Skim
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11 Discussion
Pages 68-72

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From page 68...
... We had a reasonably broad health survey instrument that included the SF-36 assessment of general health, allowing comparisons to national, normed data. The entire mail questionnaire, accompanying material, and telephone interview script (such as veteran service organizations' [VSO]
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From page 69...
... That is, the more statistical tests one performs, the greater the chance of observing so-called statistically significant differences that are actually due to chance. We dealt with this problem in part by using a number of summary measures, in effect reducing the number of statistical comparisons.
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From page 70...
... However, we did find statistically significant coefficients for linear trend for both BG and MAA for both PCS and MCS scores, evidence that PCS and MCS scores were statistically significantly lower with each additional test in which there was potential exposure to either BG or MAA. On the other hand, when estimating the effects of BG and MAA exposure controlling for the total number of Project SHAD tests, the statistically significant effects of BG and MAA all disappeared, whereas the differences in SF-36 summary scores by total number of tests was statistically significant.
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From page 71...
... We did not have sufficient data to do an agent-specific analysis in group D Conclusions In conclusion, we saw no difference in all-cause mortality between Project SHAD participants and nonparticipant controls, and although participants had a statistically significantly higher risk of death due to heart disease, that lack of cardiovascular risk factor data as well as biological plausibility makes this latter difference difficult to interpret.
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From page 72...
... Although the sample seems large, some of the exposure groups are indeed rather moderate in size, and the lack of specific a priori hypotheses of health effects becomes a real limitation. If there were, for example, very specific, targeted effects on a particular organ system, but with a relatively low prevalence, our relatively coarse grouping of health outcomes might well have missed finding such a specific effect.
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Key Terms

  • shad participants
  • health survey
  • nonresponse bias
  • statistically significantly
  • mcs scores

  • nonresponse rates
  • nonresponse rate
  • scores ranging
  • birth defects
  • shad participation

  • potential health
  • significant difference
  • somatization scores
  • military volunteers
  • telephone interview

  • mail questionnaire
  • participants reported
  • potential project
  • medical chart
  • shad tests

  • medical conditions
  • anticholinesterase agents
  • low response
  • heart disease
  • edgewood arsenal

  • gulf war
  • component summary
  • control scores
  • medical records
  • summary scores


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