Table 2 Characteristics of Veterans who participated in 10 focus groups conducted in 5 US cities (n = 89)
Characteristic | Total | |
|---|---|---|
N | % | |
Age (years) | ||
 26–29 | 14 | 15.7 |
 30–34 | 25 | 28.1 |
 35–44 | 28 | 31.5 |
 45–66 | 22 | 24.7 |
Female | 26 | 29.2 |
Ethnicity (2 missing) | ||
 Not Hispanic, Spanish or Latino | 67 | 70.0 |
 Puerto Rican, Cuban, Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino | 20 | 23.0 |
Race | ||
 White | 50 | 56.2 |
 Black/African American | 21 | 23.6 |
 All others, mixed, missing | 18 | 20.2 |
Education | ||
 Technical or trade school, some college or Associate’s degree (all high school graduates or GED) | 40 | 44.9 |
 Bachelor’s degree | 32 | 36.0 |
 Master’s degree, professional, or doctorate degree | 17 | 19.1 |
Current work status | ||
 Working full time or part time | 65 | 73.0 |
 Unemployed, searching for work | 3 | 3.4 |
 Unemployed, not searching for work, disabled, retired | 9 | 10.1 |
 Student | 12 | 13.5 |
Pay grade | ||
 Enlisted | 70 | 78.7 |
 Officer including warrant officer | 19 | 21.4 |
Self-rated health | ||
 Excellent/very good | 50 | 56.2 |
 Good | 29 | 32.6 |
 Fair/poor | 10 | 11.2 |
Ever use of VA health care benefits | ||
 No | 48 | 53.9 |
 Yes | 41 | 46.1 |
Current impressions about VA benefit services | ||
 Excellent/very good | 34 | 38.2 |
 Good | 33 | 37.1 |
 Fair/poor | 20 | 22.5 |
 Not sure | 2 | 2.3 |
Participated in VA health research in the past | ||
 No | 65 | 73.0 |
 Yes | 16 | 18.0 |
 Do not recall | 8 | 9.0 |
Participated in non-VA health research in the past | ||
 No | 72 | 80.9 |
 Yes | 11 | 12.4 |
 Do not recall | 6 | 6.7 |