Daniel W Trone1, Teresa M Powell2, Lauren M Bauer2, Amber D Seelig3, Arthur V Peterson4, Alyson J Littman5, Emily C Williams6, Charles C Maynard7, Jonathan B Bricker8, Edward J Boyko9. 1. Deployment Health Research Department, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106-3521, USA. Electronic address: daniel.w.trone.civ@mail.mil. 2. Deployment Health Research Department, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106-3521, USA. 3. Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 South Columbian Way MS152E, Seattle, WA 98108, USA. 4. Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, UW Tower, 15T-420, 4333 Brooklyn Avenue NE, Campus Box 359461, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. 5. Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 South Columbian Way MS152E, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Health Sciences Building F-250, Box 357236, Seattle, WA 98195-7236, USA; Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Health Services Research Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108, USA. 6. Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Health Services Research Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Magnuson Health Sciences Center, Room H-664, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195-7660, USA. 7. Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 South Columbian Way MS152E, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Health Services Research Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Magnuson Health Sciences Center, Room H-664, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195-7660, USA. 8. Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, UW Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA. 9. Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 South Columbian Way MS152E, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Health Sciences Building F-250, Box 357236, Seattle, WA 98195-7236, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, RR-512, Health Sciences Building, Box 356420, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195-6420, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The associations between stressful military experiences and tobacco use and alcohol misuse among Service members are well documented. However, little is known about whether stressful military experiences are associated with tobacco use and alcohol misuse among military spouses. METHODS: Using 9872 Service member-spouse dyads enrolled in the Millennium Cohort Family Study, we employed logistic regression to estimate the odds of self-reported cigarette smoking, risky drinking, and problem drinking among spouses by Service member deployment status, communication regarding deployment, and stress associated with military-related experiences, while adjusting for demographic, mental health, military experiences, and Service member military characteristics. RESULTS: Current cigarette smoking, risky drinking, and problem drinking were reported by 17.2%, 36.3%, and 7.3% of military spouses, respectively. Current deployment was not found to be associated with spousal smoking or drinking behaviors. Communication about deployment experiences with spouses was associated with lower odds of smoking, but not with risky or problem drinking. Spouses bothered by communicated deployment experiences and those who reported feeling very stressed by a combat-related deployment or duty assignment had consistently higher odds of both risky and problem drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that contextual characteristics about the deployment experience, as well as the perceived stress of those experiences, may be more impactful than the simple fact of Service member deployment itself. These results suggest that considering the impact of deployment experiences on military spouses reveals important dimensions of military community adaptation and risk. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
INTRODUCTION: The associations between stressful military experiences and tobacco use and alcohol misuse among Service members are well documented. However, little is known about whether stressful military experiences are associated with tobacco use and alcohol misuse among military spouses. METHODS: Using 9872 Service member-spouse dyads enrolled in the Millennium Cohort Family Study, we employed logistic regression to estimate the odds of self-reported cigarette smoking, risky drinking, and problem drinking among spouses by Service member deployment status, communication regarding deployment, and stress associated with military-related experiences, while adjusting for demographic, mental health, military experiences, and Service member military characteristics. RESULTS: Current cigarette smoking, risky drinking, and problem drinking were reported by 17.2%, 36.3%, and 7.3% of military spouses, respectively. Current deployment was not found to be associated with spousal smoking or drinking behaviors. Communication about deployment experiences with spouses was associated with lower odds of smoking, but not with risky or problem drinking. Spouses bothered by communicated deployment experiences and those who reported feeling very stressed by a combat-related deployment or duty assignment had consistently higher odds of both risky and problem drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that contextual characteristics about the deployment experience, as well as the perceived stress of those experiences, may be more impactful than the simple fact of Service member deployment itself. These results suggest that considering the impact of deployment experiences on military spouses reveals important dimensions of military community adaptation and risk. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Entities:
Keywords:
Mental health; Military family; Problem drinking; Risky drinking; Smoking
Authors: Nida H Corry; Sharmini Radakrishnan; Christianna S Williams; Alicia C Sparks; Kelly A Woodall; John A Fairbank; Valerie A Stander Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2019-11-12 Impact factor: 3.295