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The Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry: Ascertainment Bias

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

J. Goldberg ,
W. True ,
S. Eisen ,
W. Henderson  and
C.D. Robinette
J. Goldberg*
Affiliation:
University of Illinois School of Public Health, Hines, Illinois, USA Hines VA Cooperative Studies Coordinating Center, Illinois, USA
W. True
Affiliation:
Psychiatry & Research Services, St. Louis VA Medical Center, andSt. Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri, USA
S. Eisen
Affiliation:
Research Service, St. Louis VA Medical Center, andWashington University School of Medicine, USA
W. Henderson
Affiliation:
Hines VA Cooperative Studies Coordinating Center, Illinois, USA
C.D. Robinette
Affiliation:
Medical Follow-up Agency, National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Washington, DC, USA
*
Vietnam Era Twin Study, Hines VA CSPCC (151k), Hines, IL 60141, USA

Abstract

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An examination of ascertainment bias in identification of twin pairs in the Vietnam Era Twin Registry has been conducted. A complete listing of all male-male Vietnam era veteran twin pairs born in Connecticut between 1939 and 1955 was obtained (N = 150). An attempt was made to match these pairs with a listing of Vietnam era veteran twin pairs derived from the United States Department of Defense's Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) computer files. The results indicate that the DMDC files identified only 46.7% of the 150 Connecticut born Vietnam era veteran pairs. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between pairs found on the DMDC files and Connecticut veteran pairs missing from the DMDC files are observed for the following variables: a) year of discharge from military service, b) total length of active military service, c) branch of service, and d) foreign service. No consistent pattern of bias is observed for factors related to the physical and psychosocial healt of veteran pairs. The implications of the ascertainment biases in the Vietnam Era Twin Registry are discussed.

Keywords

TwinsRegistriesVietnam WarVeteransAscertainment biasStress disorderspost-traumatic
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , January 1987 , pp. 67 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1987

References

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