Social Determinants of Veterans' Health

Service-Connected Disability 
Differences (County, 
Percentage, Age, Sex) 
•
Largest counties- Maricopa/Pima
•
57% of Veterans are receiving 30% to 90% compensation
•
30% of Veterans receive 0% to 20% disability compensation
•
13% of Veterans are receiving 100% compensation
•
44% are 65 years and older
•
10% are women
0% to 
20%
30% to 
40%
50% to 
60%
70% to 
90%
100%
17-44
45-64
65 or 
older
Male
Female
Maricopa
62,036
18,051
10,102
9,358
15,867
8,658
18,762
18,743
24,530
55,428
6,608
Mohave
4,921
1,416
698
706
1,251
850
710
1,144
3,067
4,590
331
Navajo
1,569
472
243
195
412
247
262
369
938
1,460
109
Pima
21,837
6,326
3,962
3,551
5,303
2,695
5,531
7,208
9,097
19,215
2,622
Pinal
7,425
2,228
1,242
1,083
1,783
1,089
1,527
1,957
3,941
6,827
598
Santa 
Cruz
408
110
52
74
113
59
104
117
187
369
39
Yavapai
5,255
1,582
797
746
1,233
897
817
1,338
3,100
4,802
453
Yuma
4,475
1,214
786
738
1,165
572
1,398
1,349
1,728
4,054
421
County 
Name
Total: Disability 
Compensation
Service-connected Disability Rating
Age
Sex

Social Determinants of Health
(1 of 2)
• Finance
• Fewer Veterans (7.6%) lived at or below poverty level than non-Veterans (8.3%).
• Mental and Emotional Health
• ~12% of all homeless adults are Veterans of any race and ethnicity. 
• Nearly 35% of Veterans have a lifetime prevalence of PTSD. 
• Physical Health and Functional Limitations
• 40% of Veterans have at least one chronic health condition- bone, joint, muscle pain; 
hypertension, high cholesterol, metabolic disorder, diabetes, insomnia, TBI, headache, 
cardiovascular disease.

Social Determinants of Health
(2 of 2)
• Healthcare and VHA Utilization
• Approximately 51% Veterans used at least one VA benefit or service in FY19, up 2% from FY17.
• M age, male = 64; M age, female = 48 are using VHA resources
• Veterans between 25 and 34 AND over 65 are more likely to use VA benefits and receive 
disability compensation compared to Veterans of other ages.
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (59%), Black (54%), and Hispanic (53%) Veterans have a higher 
utilization rate of VA benefits than any other racial group while American Indian/Alaskan (41%) 
native and Other (42%) race Veterans are the least likely to utilize VA benefits.
• Substance Use
• Approximately, 34% of all veterans are binge drinkers, while 1 in 10 suffer from alcohol use 
disorder.
• 40% of veterans use tobacco in some form.

Recommendations
(1 of 2)
• Mentoring and Networking. Veterans are seeking mentors who can not only assist in 
navigating the job market, but who can help them grow professionally with an understanding of 
their military background, unique skills, and the life experiences that set them apart from the 
non-veteran population.
• Peer Support. The Veteran’s small share of the population both underscores the need for and 
represents a challenge in creating spaces for veterans to connect. This is particularly evident at 
the point of transition to civilian life, during which many veterans feel overwhelmed with their 
numerous and evolving obligations. Peer support groups facilitate the expression of their 
shared challenges and concerns while building support systems that fight against isolation.
• Environment. Veterans who experienced trauma may be less likely to participate in a mixed-
sex environment. Creating effective services and programming exclusively for Veterans (and of 
equal quality as the mixed-gender programming) is an important component to improving 
resources and creating more inclusive environments for Veterans that have experienced 
severe trauma.

Recommendations
(2 of 2)
• Access to Resources. Let’s be honest, many Veterans lack a clear understanding of the 
resources at their disposal and how to navigate them in a timely manner. In response, 
orientation programs have proven beneficial for Veterans by preparing them with the 
expectations and information to choose the right solutions for their individual needs. We need 
to get Veterans the updated information and encourage them to become empowered in self-
care.
• Taught Resilience. The good news is that resilience can be taught; Veterans tend to leverage a 
unique formula of social support, spirituality, and self-care to overcome their sense of isolation 
and to form new identities post-service. Research shows that women Veterans are better at 
this than male Veterans. Women Veterans hold more positions in leadership within business, 
government, and local communities, thrive through challenging times. How can we learn from 
this and get male Veterans to do the same? How can we leverage the success of the some to 
assist the masses to thrive?

Arizona Veterans: A Deep Dive
Veteran Population
Female
 Unemployment Rate 
Below Poverty Level
Disability Rate
Median Personal Income
483,026
8.2%
6.8%
7.6%
29.9%
$36,161
Arizona
Less than HS
High School or Equivalent
Some College
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
5.4%
22.2%
42.8%
29.6%
Education Attainment (Veterans 25 years and older)
Gulf War II
Gulf War I
Vietnam Era
Korean War
World War II
13.7%
18.5%
37.4%
11.4%
5.6%
Period of Service
18 to 34
35 to 54
55 to 64
65 to 74
75 +
8.1%
21.7%
18.2%
27.2%
24.9%
Age Distribution
White
Black or African American
American Indian and 
Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and Other 
Pacific Islander
Some other race
Hispanic or Latino 
(of any race)
88.9%
4.6%
1.6%
1.0%
N/A
1.9%
11.1%
Race and Ethnicity

Centers for Veteran Sub-Populations
• The Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) recognizes four challenges that minority Veterans 
currently face: homelessness, awareness of VA benefits, chronic diseases, and unemployment. 
• The Center for Women Veterans (CWV) recognizes four challenges that women Veterans 
currently face: homelessness (4x risk of men); mental health challenges (sexual harassment or 
assault* while in service); identifying as a Veteran due to lack of resources in their local 
community (35% men v. 54% women); lack of peer connections.