Thomann Lauren O, Hanson Katherine A, Plomp Jane, Vassy Jason L, Sawyer Sherilyn J
VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, U.S..
Boston VA Research Institute, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, U.S.
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2025 May 24;25(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12874-025-02588-0.
Many segments of the population are underrepresented in biomedical research (UBR). Lack of diversity in health research limits understanding of individual and population level differences and risks the generalizability of study results. Examining intersectionality among VA-enrolled Veteran participants in the All of Us Research Program offers a first look at in-depth understanding of Veteran identity.
Multi-modal approaches to engagement and recruitment were utilized to enroll a diverse cohort of Veterans nationally from 2018 to 2024. All of Us data were analyzed across eight UBR categories and their intersections to highlight the complexity of Veteran identity.
Veteran All of Us participants reflect the diversity of Veterans nationwide. All of Us participant metrics shed new light on the diversity of the Veteran population, with over 75 unique UBR combinations identified among participants, and over 90% of participants meeting the criteria for at least one UBR category.
The use of a broad spectrum of engagement approaches was shown to be successful for reaching a more diverse Veteran base, and complex intersectional identities among Veterans are described. Greater understanding of intersectionality and its significance to representation can bolster the adaptation of Veteran engagement methodology in research and broader healthcare settings.
生物医学研究（UBR）中许多人群的代表性不足。健康研究缺乏多样性限制了对个体和群体层面差异的理解，并使研究结果的普遍性面临风险。在“我们所有人研究计划”中，对参与研究的退伍军人事务部（VA）登记的退伍军人参与者之间的交叉性进行研究，有助于初步深入了解退伍军人身份。
2018年至2024年期间，采用多模式参与和招募方法，在全国范围内招募了不同类型的退伍军人队列。对“我们所有人”项目的数据按照八个UBR类别及其交叉情况进行分析，以突出退伍军人身份的复杂性。
“我们所有人”项目中的退伍军人参与者反映了全国退伍军人的多样性。“我们所有人”项目参与者的指标为退伍军人人口的多样性提供了新的视角，参与者中确定了75种以上独特的UBR组合，超过90%的参与者符合至少一个UBR类别的标准。
事实表明，采用广泛的参与方法成功地覆盖了更多样化的退伍军人群体，并描述了退伍军人中复杂的交叉身份。对交叉性及其对代表性的重要性有更深入的理解，可以促进退伍军人参与研究和更广泛医疗保健环境的方法的适应性。
