Federal Veteran's Affairs Minister Bruce Billson said to the ABC Thursday that around 200,000 people would take part in the survey with results available by 2009.
"Recent research has identified that there are some physical ailments that are in greater incidence amongst children of Vietnam veterans - cleft palate and spina bifida - but we think we need to go beyond that," Billson said.
"Some of the family dynamic issues, the way people feel their support network within their family has been affected."
The study will be conducted by the Center for Military and Veterans Health (CMVH).
