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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Is experience as a prisoner of war a risk factor for accelerated age-related illness and disability? | | Author(s) | Helen Creasey, Mary Rose Sulway, Owen Dent |
| Journal title | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 47, no 1, January 1999 |
| Pages | pp 60-64 |
| Keywords | Health [elderly] ; Chronic illness ; Armed Forces ; War ; Australia. |
| Annotation | Research has documented the continuing psychological impact of imprisonment on former prisoners of war (POW) during World War II, yet there is little evidence on the long-term effects on physical health. The aim of this Australian study was to determine whether the experience of internment during World War II was associated with a higher prevalence of chronic disease and diminished functional performance in later life. A total of 101 Australian ex-prisoners of the Japanese and a comparison group of 107 non-POW combatants participated in the study. Findings revealed that prisoners of war reported more somatic symptoms than non-POWs, had more diagnoses and used a greater number of different medications. There were no differences in hospital admissions or length of stay. On the whole, there were few differences between POWs and controls, and those differences were relatively small. The findings do not support a major role for catastrophic life stress in the development of chronic illness and disability in later life. However, it is possible that the POW experience played a part in premature, abnormal, or unsuccessful ageing in some individuals. (AKM). |
| Accession Number | CPA-990305402 A |
| Classmark | CC: CI: VMM: VMC: 7YA |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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