FEATURES OF THE VHAS

VHAS is a longitudinal study that combines survey and biomarker methods. It uses a population-based sample and captures a spectrum of regional exposures.

• The study sampled 2,447 Vietnamese men and women aged 60 and older.
  • Participants were randomly selected from 12 communes in 4 districts.
  • Veterans and former militia members were oversampled.
• The survey is an omnibus survey with sections addressing health, military service, war-era traumatic stress exposure and symptoms, chronic and major life event stressors, and family and social relationships.
• In the field, interviewers team members collected biomarker data including body measurements, blood pressure, grip strength, and peak expiratory flow, as well as collecting hair and capillary blood samples

Goal: To measure early life trauma exposure and late life health to assess life course perspectives on scarring and resilience.