Thesis (M.S.)--Northwest Missouri State University, 2010. / The full text of the thesis is included in the pdf file. Title from title screen of full text.pdf file (viewed on June 7, 2010) Includes bibliographical references.

Objectives: Research shows transgender individuals experience pronounced health disparities compared with their nontransgender peers. Yet, there remains insufficient research about health differences within transgender populations. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring how current urban/rural status is associated with lifetime diagnosis of mood disorder, alcohol dependence disorder, illicit drug abuse disorder, tobacco use, posttraumatic stress disorder, human immunodeficiency virus, and suicidal ideation or attempt among veterans with transgender-related diagnoses. Methods: This study used a retrospective review of The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data for transgender patients who received VA care from 1997 through 2014. Transgender patients were defined as individuals that had a lifetime diagnosis of any of 4 International Classification of Diseases-9 diagnosis codes associated with transgender status. Independent multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore associations of rural status with medical conditions. Results: Veterans with transgender-related diagnoses residing in small/isolated rural towns had increased odds of tobacco use disorder (adjusted odds ratio=1.39; 95% confidence intervals, 1.09-1.78) and posttraumatic stress disorder (adjusted odds ratio=1.33; 95% confidence intervals, 1.03-1.71) compared with their urban transgender peers. Urban/rural status was not significantly associated with other medical conditions of interest. Conclusions: This study contributes the first empirical investigations of how place of residence is associated with medical diagnoses among veterans with transgender-related diagnoses. The importance of place as a determinant of health is increasingly clear, but for veterans with transgender-related diagnoses this line of research is currently limited. The addition of self-reported sex identity data within VA electronic health records is one way to advance this line of research.

This study focused on presenting an analysis of the concept of marginalisation of former fighters after the Liberian civil conflict and how the web of connections such as status, identity and networks were central to any proposed establishment of a debate. The study had two aims. The first aim was to give a voice to the ex-soldiers who became neglected after the war, allowing them to tell their own stories of marginalisation before, during and after the conflict. The second aim was to help establish a debate on the notion of marginalisation that existed before the war and impacted the soldiers after the war. Within this, the study aimed to assess how the evolution of identity of individuals from youth to neglected veterans had occurred and to further the knowledge of the empirical literature in this regard. A secondary aim was to evaluate the success of reintegration of the ex-soldiers into Liberian society post-conflict and how far marginalisation hindered this attempt. To achieve these aims, the study focused on the use of a qualitative research methodology as the central research component. As well as considering the view of the empirical literature, the researcher wished to provide an account of marginalisation from those that had experienced it first-hand. Therefore, the study dispensed with the use of quantitative surveys and instead carried out personal conversations face to face that would reveal the former fighters’ feelings and attitudes in a more rounded and richer way. This methodological approach aimed to give a voice to the ex-soldiers and whether or not they perceive themselves as part of society. Using these interviews, the thesis aimed to analyse the influence of internal and external factors that caused the former fighters to perceive themselves as being either included, excluded or marginalised within Liberian society. The interviews, combined with the results of the review of the empirical literature, enabled the researcher to draw a number of salient points regarding the concept of marginalisation. The study found that the creation of the feeling of marginalisation for former fighters was composed of a variety of psycho-social factors. These included detachment from family, marginalised primary identities, the development of war-connected networks and a resilient sense of belonging, all of which combined to create a distinct group identity of the neglected veteran that currently exists in Liberian society. This has been because the former fighters have been unable to homogenise their status and identity with the rest of the population. This has stemmed from their perception of the failure of the reintegration process to eliminate the gap between former fighters and civilians and has led to serious problems within Liberian society. The study concludes that Liberian youth developed a war-family identity (collective group identity) and gained a strong sense of belonging. The actions of DDR led to this disintegration of the war family and triggered a series of reactions psychologically and socially. Moreover, reintegration attempts have proved unsuccessful due to the lack of education and skills held by the former fighters. Attempts to be accepted into society has not led to real integration. This has increased the perception of former fighters that they are now neglected veterans. Recommendations for further study are also provided in this work.

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The objective of this thesis is to examine the returns to mobility of civilian personnel within the Department of Defense (DoD). This study employs panel data provided by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) and drawn from the Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Data Files. The dataset consisted of 21,143 personnel who were new hires in years 1994-1995. Between 1994-1995 and 2003, 3,267 (15.4%) employees were interstate migrants. The data were set up as an unbalanced panel with a total of 132,068 observations. This study uses ordinary least squares (OLS), probit and Heckman selection-correction techniques to explore two returns to mobility measures: compensation and promotion. Multivariate models were specified and estimated for each performance measure. The results indicated workers who migrate are more likely subsequently to be promoted. Migration is a strategic move for workers to advance and maximize their personal utility since migrants earn higher salaries than non-migrants. Females present no evidence of tied-mover effects, and pursue promotion and salary opportunities like males. Women promote faster than men, and women migrants increase their promotion rates even more. Females, however, earn lower salaries than males. The models also reveal that veterans earn lower salaries than non-veterans and have no significant advantages in promotion over their counterparts.

This thesis analyzes the factors that influence the decision of first-term Naval Veterans (NAVETs), who are eligible for reenlistment, to choose to affiliate with the Selected Reserve (SELRES). A model of the determinants of affiliation is specified and estimated using data on active Navy separations and Navy Reserve accessions during the period between 1990 and 2002. The data set analyzed the affiliation decisions of 388,637 NAVETs. Some of the features in the maximum likelihood logit model include the use of rating groups to determine differences in affiliation patterns by occupational categories, determining differences over various time periods, and looking at pay and unemployment rate elasticities across rating groups. Overall, NAVET affiliation in the SELRES is found to depend upon Reserve pay, unemployment rates, census region, gender, race, marital status, dependency status, age at time of separation from active duty, education, mental category, and Navy rating. More specifically, the findings indicate that technical ratings are more responsive to changes in pay than nontechnical ratings, while the unemployment elasticity indicates that affiliation increases with an increase in the unemployment rate. Various time periods were analyzed to determine if the drawdown years of the early 1990s differed from the rest of the sample, and to determine if differences existed during and after the 'dot.com' boom of the late 1990s. In both cases, models in the restricted period were found to be significantly different from the pooled period. Females, Blacks and Hispanics were more likely to affiliate, while those NAVETs who are married, have children, and are older are less likely to affiliate. Finally, there was a significant regional effect in the probability of affiliation.

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