“Is that a coincidence?”: Exploring health perceptions and the causal attributions of physical health conditions in British nuclear test veterans

Abstract

Since the British nuclear testing programme, there have been several claims in the media and from the veterans themselves that their health (and descendants' health) has been adversely affected by ionizing radiation exposure. Many health conditions associated with ionizing radiation exposure are also age-related. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how British nuclear test veterans, with varying health conditions, perceive their health and attribute causes to health conditions in themselves and in their family members, in the light of being an aged cohort and their previous involvement in nuclear weapons testing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 British nuclear test veterans and were analysed using thematic analysis to generate broad themes describing the data. Four themes were generated: (i) Sources of health risk information over the life course, (ii) Luck, (iii) What is ‘normal’? and (iv) Experience with healthcare professionals. Health conditions perceived as not ‘normal’ considering one's age, lifestyle, and hereditary risk, or perceived as incurable, appeared more likely to be attributed to radiation exposure. Recommendations relating to transparency for authorities dealing with exposure scenarios, and subsequent genetics and epidemiological research are discussed. Healthcare professionals may benefit from understanding patients' narratives in healthcare consultations with individuals who perceive radiation exposure to have impacted on their health.