• Anita D Misra-Hebert, Laura Santurri, Richard DeChant, Brook Watts, Michael Rothberg, Ashwini R Sehgal, and David C Aron.
• From the Center for Value Based Care Research, Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, the Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance, Jerry & Vickie Moyes College of Education, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, Veterans Services and Programs, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio, the Department of Medicine, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
• South. Med. J. 2015 Aug 1; 108 (8): 488493488-93.

ObjectivesAccess to care at Veterans Affairs facilities may be limited by long wait times; however, additional barriers may prevent US military veterans from seeking help at all. We sought to understand the health needs of veterans in the community to identify possible barriers to health-seeking behavior.MethodsFocus groups were conducted with veteran students at a community college until thematic saturation was reached. Qualitative data analysis involved both an inductive content analysis approach and deductive elements.ResultsA total of 17 veteran students participated in 6 separate focus groups. Health needs affecting health-seeking behavior were identified. Themes included lack of motivation to improve health, concern about social exclusion and stigma, social interactions and behavior, limited access to affordable and convenient health care, unmet basic needs for self and family, and academics competing with health needs.ConclusionsVeterans face a range of personal, societal, and logistical barriers to accessing care. In addition to decreasing wait times for appointments, efforts to improve the transition to civilian life; reduce stigma; and offer assistance related to work, housing, and convenient access to health care may improve health in veteran students.

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