The Women Veteran's Health Mission

For most Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans, the transition from military to civilianlife is completed successfully. In the 2016 Life After Service Survey (LASS). However,32% reported difficulties and it appears that this proportion has been rising among thosemost recently released. Moreover, 28% indicated that their partners had difficulty withthe release. Among veterans, an increased prevalence of chronic health problems isbelieved to be one of the primary reasons for challenging transitions and ongoingdifficulties with civilian life. The most common health issues are chronic back problems(41%), arthritis (29%), and mental health conditions including depression (21%),Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (16%), and anxiety (15%).A recent survey comparing Veterans to Canadians from the general population demonstratedthat in age and sex adjusted analyses, both male and female Veterans were significantlymore likely to suffer from the above mentioned physical and mental health conditions.Chronic pain was particularly noteworthy among Veteran men (39%) and women (49%) (HallAL, Sweet J, Tweel M, MacLean MB. BMJ Mil Health. 2022 Feb;168(1):82‐87. doi:10.1136/bmjmilitary‐2020‐001526. Epub 2020 Aug 30. PMID: 32868291; PMCID: PMC8788043).Regular physical activity has been shown to be an effective treatment for all the aboveconditions, both alone and in combination with other therapeutic options. Yet regularphysical activity is challenging for most Canadians with or without with chronic healthissues.In 2024, Women Veterans testified in a Canadian Parliamentary Hearing about thediscrimination they had faced during military service. They also spoke of the ongoingchallenges associated with finding timely rehabilitation services for their healthproblems that had arisen during their time serving. (Invisible No More. The Experiencesof Canadian Women Veterans:https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44‐1/ACVA/news‐release/13150242). Releasefrom the CAF also reduces social connectivity and a sense of community as Veterans try tore‐integrate into society. Providing women veterans with peer‐support programs for womenonly, was one of the final recommendations from this Parliamentary Hearing.The investigators therefore propose to adapt a web‐based program to engage women Veteransand their families in wellness challenges (Missions) to increase participants' physicalactivity, improve sleep, reduce stress, eat healthy, manage weight, etc. while increasingsocial connectivity and peer support. Online Chat Forums, monitored daily by theinvestigators, will also be available to support conversations among women Veteransfocusing on common health and wellness issues.While the primary focus will be Women Veterans, participants will be able to invite maleor female friends/family members to join them on the wellness Missions. The Women ChatForums will be open only to women participants and will focus on issues initiallyproposed by a steering committee of women Veterans and over time by the womenparticipating in the program.The Women Veterans Health Mission will be based on existing web‐based programs previouslydesigned and evaluated by the investigators. The cornerstone of the program will be toengage participants to track their daily physical activity in Missions typically lasting6 to 12 weeks while they learn and practice other healthy lifestyle habits. The websitewill feature evidence‐based educational modules covering topics such as improving sleep,stress management, managing pain, and healthy eating/weight loss. Participants will sethealth goals for themselves and track their behaviours and new skills online (physicalactivity, sleep hygiene practices, mindful relaxation, etc.).Participants can also form a team of friends and family members and compete against otherteams if they wish. Points are awarded for daily activity tracking, learning andpracticing healthy lifestyle modules and new skills, measuring health outcomes (beforeand after the Mission), posting comments to other team members, etc. Teams can comparetheir progress on a leader board where accumulated points are displayed.The investigators have tested these programs in the workplace, among university staff,and government employees. Published results demonstrated that among 730 eligibleemployees, 571 (78%) participated in the online wellness program in the first yearresulting in significant improvements in blood pressure, sleep quality, emotional stress,and fatigue. A significant dose response was also noted where the greatest benefits wereobserved among those who used the online program the most.(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29200188/.)The investigators launched the MissionVAV program in 2019 with funding from the Veteransand Family Wellbeing Fund. The target population for this online wellness program wasCanadian Veterans, family members, and friends. During the next 6 years 1868 participantsincluding women who self‐identified as: Veterans (93), family members of Veterans (204)or friends of Veterans (37).Building on the foundations of the MissionVAV program, we will adapt the web‐basedplatform to respond to the needs of enrolled Women veterans and their supporters (familyand friends). The investigators will use the many health modules that currently exist onthe platform for problems like sedentary behaviour, excess body weight, poor sleep,elevated stress and chronic pain. The investigators will continually evaluate the websiteusage and the program benefits for participants.