The changing terrain: Sequestration concerns affect service members’ health
Ongoing concerns over sequestration and defense downsizing appear to be affecting the health of career service members and their families. The First Command Financial Behaviors Index® reveals that health issues commonly associated with financial worries are widespread among military families who report high levels of concern over sequestration and the financial impact of anticipated cuts to defense spending.
Eighty-four percent of middle-class military families (commissioned officers and NCOs in pay grades E-5 and above with household incomes of at least $50,000) who feel extremely or very anxious about sequestration also report that someone in their family has experienced one or more money-related health challenges during the past year:
- Difficulty falling asleep: 39 percent.
- Changes in appetite: 28 percent.
- General increase in stress: 28 percent.
- Increased feeling of anxiety: 23 percent.
- Unhealthy diet: 20 percent.
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