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. 2011 Jan 1;23(1):6-21.
doi: 10.1080/08995605.2011.534407.

Prevalence and Correlates of Drinking Behaviors of Previously Deployed Military Personnel and Matched Civilian Population

Rajeev Ramchand  1 , Jeremy Miles  1 , Terry Schell  1 , Lisa Jaycox  1 , Grant N Marshall  1 , Terri Tanielian  1
Affiliations

Prevalence and Correlates of Drinking Behaviors of Previously Deployed Military Personnel and Matched Civilian Population

Rajeev Ramchand et al. Mil Psychol. .

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 US military (n = 1887). 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 US 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.

Keywords: Afghanistan; Alcohol; Epidemiology; Iraq; Military.

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