Prevalence and Correlates of Drinking Behaviors Among Previously Deployed Military and Matched Civilian Populations

Abstract

We examined drinking behaviors (frequency of use, quantity of use, and frequency of binge drinking) and correlates of frequency of use and binge drinking in a representative sample of previously deployed personnel from the U.S. military (n = 1,887). Drinking behaviors were compared with a matched sample of adults in U.S. households (n = 17,533). Comparable patterns of alcohol consumption were reported in both samples: 70% of previously deployed personnel and 69% of U.S. adults reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days, though civilians drank on average more drinks on the days that they drank than did previously deployed military personnel. Regression analyses indicated that, among previously deployed military personnel, deployment-related experiences (e.g., combat-related traumas) and psychological distress (e.g., symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder) were associated with frequency of drinking behaviors. We discuss the implication of our findings for developing interventions to modify drinking behaviors for military personnel.

Notes

¹All study procedures adhere to American Psychological Association (APA) ethical guidelines. The study was approved and monitored by the RAND IRB: consent was given orally, and confidentiality of responses was ensured with a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Certificate of Confidentiality.

Note. ^a SE = standard error; standard errors and p values obtained using Poisson regression.

^aMultivariate models adjusted for race, marital status, rank (enlisted vs. officer/warrant officer), and age (by decade).