Identifying Key Correlates of Social Well-Being among Canadian Armed Forces Veterans: An Analysis of the 2016 Life after Service Study

Figures & data

Table 1. Psychometric characteristics of Social Provisions Scale in sample.

# of items	Alpha (Weighted)	Correlation (Weighted)	CATEGORY & item description	M (Weighted)	Bootstrapped 95% CI
10	0.93	NA	SPSDCON- Social Provisions Scale (total)	34.05	33.65	34.45
2	0.80	0.67	SPSDATT - Attachment	6.91	6.82	7.01
			I have close relationships that provide me with a sense of emotional security and wellbeing.	1.61	1.56	1.67
			I feel a strong emotional bond with at least one other person.	1.47	1.43	1.52
2	0.84	0.72	SPSDGUI- Guidance	7.00	6.91	7.08
			There is someone I could talk to about important decisions in my life.	1.49	1.45	1.54
			There is a trustworthy person I could turn to for advice if I were having problems.	1.51	1.47	1.56
2	0.78	0.64	SPSDALL- Reliable Alliance	7.00	6.92	7.08
			There are people I can depend on to help me if I really need it.	1.52	1.48	1.57
			There are people I can count on in an emergency.	1.48	1.43	1.52
2	0.79	0.66	SPSDINT- Social Integration	6.48	6.38	6.58
			There are people who enjoy the same social activities I do.	1.67	1.61	1.72
			I feel part of a group of people who share my attitudes and beliefs.	1.86	1.80	1.92
2	0.80	0.68	SPSDWOR - Reassurance of Worth	6.58	6.49	6.68
			I have relationships where my competence and skill are recognized.	1.72	1.67	1.78
			There are people who admire my talents and abilities.	1.70	1.65	1.75

Note. CI = confidence interval.

Table 2. Demographic characteristics of participants.

			Weighted count	Weighted %
			n = 16,328.81	Estimate	Bootstrapped 95% CI
Individual	Sex	Female	2155.403	13.2	11.0	15.7
		Male	14174.28	86.8	84.3	89.0
	Age	<30	3674.432	22.5	19.5	25.7
		30-39	3527.671	21.6	18.7	24.9
		40-49	3968.873	24.3	21.6	27.2
		50-59	4344.793	26.6	23.9	29.5
		60+	833.0753	5.1	4.1	6.3
	Environment at release	Sea	3218.155	19.7	17.1	22.6
		Land	9671.392	59.2	55.7	62.6
		Air	3463.616	21.2	18.5	24.0
	Rank at release	Officer	2516.177	15.4	14.4	16.5
		Senior NCM	4607.826	28.2	26.5	30.0
		Junior NCM	9216.217	56.4	54.1	58.6
	Deployment	Not deployed	4526.681	27.7	24.6	31.1
		Deployed	11815.85	72.3	68.9	75.4
Transition	Type of release	Involuntary	6668.274	40.8	38.3	43.5
		Voluntary	9676.128	59.2	56.5	61.7
	Years since release	≤1	2909.554	17.8	15.5	20.4
		1 to <4	11540.85	70.6	66.9	74.1
		4 to <5	1896.346	11.6	8.6	15.3
Family	Family/household composition	Partner only	4405.698	27.0	23.9	30.2
		Children only	620.0612	3.8	2.5	5.7
		Partner & children	4944.172	30.3	27.0	33.9
		Living alone	2643.419	16.2	13.3	19.6
		Living with other adults	3720.367	22.8	20.0	25.9
Main activity	Activity in last year	Working	9175.048	56.1	52.6	59.5
		Retired	2175.323	13.3	11.5	15.5
		Not in workforce	5005.184	30.6	27.5	33.8
	Satisfaction with main activity	Unsatisfied/Neutral	5496.224	33.6	30.4	36.9
		Satisfied	10862.25	66.4	63.1	69.6

Note. Based on a sample of n = 1,273 Veterans who released less than five years prior to completing the survey. CI = confidence interval; NCM = noncommissioned member.

Table 3. Weighted Social Provisions Scale scoring across demographic variables.

			SPSDCON			SPSDATT			SPSDGUI			SPSDALL			SPSDINT			SPSDWOR
			M	Bootstrapped 95% CI		M	Bootstrapped 95% CI		M	Bootstrapped 95% CI		M	Bootstrapped 95% CI		M	Bootstrapped 95% CI		M	Bootstrapped 95% CI
	All		34.05	33.65	34.45	6.91	6.82	7.00	7.00	6.91	7.08	7.00	6.92	7.08	6.48	6.38	6.58	6.58	6.49	6.68
Individual	Sex	Female	35.01	34.00	36.03	7.17	6.99	7.36	7.18	6.99	7.38	7.16	6.96	7.36	6.72	6.44	7.00	6.72	6.42	7.02
		Male	33.90	33.46	34.34	6.87	6.77	6.98	6.97	6.87	7.06	6.98	6.89	7.07	6.44	6.33	6.56	6.56	6.46	6.67
	Age	<30	35.14	34.24	36.03	7.15	6.98	7.33	7.17	6.98	7.37	7.26	7.09	7.43	6.65	6.38	6.93	6.80	6.56	7.04
		30-39	33.79	32.75	34.83	6.78	6.53	7.03	7.01	6.82	7.20	6.98	6.77	7.20	6.46	6.21	6.71	6.48	6.23	6.73
		40-49	33.52	32.71	34.33	6.80	6.62	6.98	6.86	6.68	7.03	6.82	6.64	7.00	6.39	6.20	6.58	6.52	6.34	6.70
		50-59	33.82	33.22	34.42	6.92	6.79	7.05	6.97	6.85	7.10	6.96	6.84	7.08	6.42	6.25	6.58	6.55	6.39	6.71
		60+	34.06	32.97	35.15	6.94	6.70	7.19	6.93	6.70	7.16	7.05	6.81	7.29	6.54	6.26	6.81	6.52	6.29	6.75
	Environment at release	Sea	34.62	33.72	35.51	7.01	6.81	7.21	7.07	6.87	7.27	7.09	6.90	7.28	6.65	6.44	6.87	6.73	6.52	6.93
		Land	33.94	33.37	34.52	6.91	6.78	7.04	7.00	6.88	7.11	6.99	6.87	7.11	6.42	6.27	6.57	6.54	6.39	6.69
		Air	33.82	33.05	34.58	6.83	6.67	7.00	6.92	6.75	7.09	6.95	6.80	7.10	6.48	6.29	6.66	6.57	6.41	6.73
	Rank at release	Officer	35.68	35.12	36.24	7.19	7.07	7.32	7.24	7.12	7.37	7.30	7.18	7.41	6.89	6.75	7.03	7.01	6.88	7.13
		Senior. NCM	33.99	33.36	34.61	6.92	6.77	7.06	6.97	6.82	7.12	6.94	6.81	7.07	6.50	6.35	6.66	6.63	6.50	6.77
		Junior NCM	33.63	33.01	34.25	6.84	6.70	6.97	6.94	6.82	7.07	6.95	6.83	7.08	6.36	6.19	6.52	6.44	6.28	6.60
	Deployment	Not deployed	35.13	34.38	35.89	7.16	7.01	7.32	7.16	7.00	7.33	7.23	7.08	7.37	6.66	6.44	6.88	6.75	6.54	6.96
		Deployed	33.64	33.19	34.08	6.82	6.71	6.93	6.93	6.84	7.02	6.92	6.82	7.01	6.41	6.30	6.52	6.52	6.41	6.63
Release	Type of release	Involuntary	32.55	31.92	33.17	6.62	6.48	6.77	6.75	6.61	6.88	6.74	6.62	6.87	6.11	5.96	6.27	6.25	6.09	6.40
		Voluntary	35.07	34.52	35.61	7.12	7.00	7.23	7.17	7.06	7.28	7.18	7.07	7.29	6.73	6.59	6.87	6.81	6.68	6.95
	Years since release	<1	34.64	33.88	35.40	7.05	6.89	7.21	7.10	6.93	7.27	7.12	6.96	7.27	6.63	6.42	6.83	6.70	6.53	6.87
		1 to <4	33.82	33.37	34.26	6.86	6.76	6.96	6.95	6.86	7.04	6.93	6.83	7.03	6.45	6.35	6.56	6.55	6.45	6.66
		4 to <5	34.56	32.75	36.36	7.03	6.61	7.44	7.13	6.75	7.50	7.26	6.93	7.59	6.41	5.87	6.95	6.60	6.08	7.13
Family	Family/household composition	Partner only	34.80	34.08	35.52	7.15	7.01	7.29	7.11	6.96	7.26	7.16	7.03	7.29	6.56	6.33	6.80	6.73	6.54	6.91
		Children only	32.36	29.77	34.96	6.41	5.72	7.09	6.51	5.82	7.20	6.69	6.22	7.15	6.36	5.80	6.93	6.41	5.92	6.90
		Partner & children	34.51	33.82	35.20	7.07	6.93	7.21	7.14	7.00	7.28	7.04	6.89	7.19	6.53	6.36	6.70	6.69	6.52	6.85
		Living alone	32.98	31.72	34.23	6.57	6.31	6.83	6.73	6.50	6.95	6.83	6.59	7.06	6.33	6.02	6.64	6.37	6.04	6.70
		Living with other adults	33.58	32.75	34.42	6.75	6.52	6.99	6.94	6.76	7.12	6.94	6.76	7.13	6.44	6.27	6.61	6.46	6.26	6.65
Mainactivity	Activity in last year	Working	35.02	34.44	35.59	7.10	6.98	7.22	7.16	7.05	7.28	7.12	7.00	7.24	6.72	6.56	6.87	6.87	6.74	7.01
		Retired	34.01	33.11	34.90	6.95	6.78	7.12	6.96	6.77	7.16	7.00	6.79	7.21	6.57	6.36	6.79	6.54	6.33	6.74
		Not in work force	32.24	31.51	32.98	6.56	6.35	6.76	6.70	6.54	6.87	6.78	6.63	6.93	5.99	5.82	6.17	6.07	5.87	6.26
	Satisfaction with main activity	Unsatisfied/Neutral	31.47	30.70	32.24	6.40	6.21	6.59	6.63	6.47	6.78	6.59	6.42	6.76	5.84	5.66	6.03	5.96	5.78	6.14
		Satisfied	35.32	34.90	35.73	7.17	7.08	7.26	7.18	7.09	7.28	7.21	7.12	7.29	6.80	6.68	6.92	6.89	6.78	7.00

Note. All values are weighted. SPSDCON = Social Support overall score; SPSDATT = Attachment; SPSDGUI = Guidance; SPSDALL = Reliable Alliance; SPSDINT = Social Integration; SPSDWOR = Reassurance of Worth; NCM = noncommissioned member.

Table 4. Results of hierarchical regression models of social support.

		Model 1(β)	Model 2(β)	Model 3(β)	Model 4(β)
Individual	Sex (reference Female)
	Male	−1.11*	−1.280*	−1.42**	−1.40**
	Age	−0.08***	−0.053*	−0.06*	−0.07**
	Environment at release (reference Sea)
	Land	−0.52	−0.315	−0.45	−0.54
	Air	−0.68	−0.65	−0.71	−0.68
	Rank at release (reference Officer)
	Senior NCM	−1.42**	−1.077*	−0.99*	−0.96*
	Junior NCM	−3.59***	−2.730***	−2.50***	−1.62**
	Deployment history (reference Not deployed)
	Deployed	−1.43**	−1.228*	−1.439**	−0.80
Release	Type of release (reference Involuntary)
	Voluntary		1.959***	1.89***	0.96*
	Years since release (reference <1)
	1 to <4		−0.405	−0.46	−0.43
	4 to <5		0.343	0.29	0.20
Family	Family/household composition (reference Living alone)
	Partner only			1.71*	1.71**
	Children only			−0.75	−0.56
	Partner & children			1.68*	1.65**
	Living with other adults			0.27	0.71
Main Activity	Activity in last year (reference Working)
	Retired				−0.16
	Not in work force				−0.63
	Satisfaction (reference Unsatisfied/Neutral)
	Satisfied				1.54***
Model	Model constant	42.35***	39.47***	39.03***	33.51***
	# Records in analysis	1,228	1,228	1,227	1,227
	R-squared	0.07	0.10	0.12	0.23

Note.

* p < .05.

** p < .01.

***p < .001. NCM = noncommissioned member.

Table 5. Modeling factors across main activity subpopulations: predictor βs and model descriptors.

		Working (β)	Retired (β)	Not in work force (β)
Individual	Sex (reference Female)
	Male	−1.62*	−1.46	−1.35
	Age	−0.07*	−0.12	−0.05
	Environment at release (reference Sea)
	Land	−0.62	0.03	−0.88
	Air	−1.32	0.57	−0.77
	Rank at release (reference Officer)
	Senior NCM	−0.78	−0.78	−1.59
	Junior NCM	−1.62*	−2.62*	−1.46
	Deployment history (reference Not deployed)
	Deployed	−0.69	−0.97	−0.93
Release	Type of release (reference Involuntary)
	Voluntary	0.52	1.29	1.10
	Years since release (reference <1)
	1 to <4	−0.49	−1.81*	−0.05
	4 to <5	0.21	−2.39	0.671
Family	Family/household composition (reference Living alone)
	Partner only	1.54	−0.62	3.29***
	Children only	−1.03	−1.28	0.72
	Partner & children	1.33	0.34	3.00***
	Living with other adults	0.35	0.44	1.91*
Main Activity	Satisfaction (reference Unsatisfied/Neutral)
	Satisfied	1.49***	2.47***	1.43***
Model	Model constant	34.68***	34.14***	31.29***
	# Records in analysis	1,257	1,266	1,250
	R-squared	0.16	0.38	0.22

Note:.

* p < .05.

** p < .01.

*** p < .001. NCM = noncommissioned member.