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Rapid Survey Instrument Identifies and Correlates Respiratory Dysfunction and Systemic Health Issues in Burn-Pit Exposed Veterans
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Rapid Survey Instrument Identifies and Correlates Respiratory Dysfunction and Systemic Health Issues in Burn-Pit Exposed Veterans

Kirsten N Wohlars, Henry Mayo-Malasky, Mary Lee-Wong, Robert A Promisloff and Anthony M Szema
Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, Forthcoming
29 May 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000003772
PMID: 42213478

Abstract

questionnaire Szema Burn Pit Respiratory Questionnaire burn pits Open Air Burn Pit Registry survey instrument Szema BPRQ Afghanistan Veterans Iraq
Validate a rapid survey instrument, identifying Veterans with burn pit-related respiratory disorders, correlating with multi-organ system symptomology. Twenty-five burn pit-exposed Veterans completed the Burn Pit Respiratory Questionnaire©, a smoking survey, the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)©, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)©, American Urological Association Symptom Index Questionnaire (AUA-SI)©, and SF-36©. Participants completed six surveys in under 30 minutes. Veterans exposed to burn pits reported new-onset respiratory symptoms post-deployment and sleep disturbances. The BPRQ was positively correlated with worse symptoms, activity, impact, and total SGRQ scores (p < 0.05). Higher BPRQ scores were associated with urological symptoms (p < 0.05), worse sleep (p < 0.05), and poorer mental and physical well-being (p < 0.05). The BPRQ identifies burn pit-related respiratory disorders and associates with systemic health issues.

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