Smoking and Drinking Behaviors of Military Spouses: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Family Study

While smoking and drinking behaviors are well documented among Service members, little is known about smoking and drinking behaviors among military spouses. This study used participant self-report to determine presence of smoking (at least 100 cigarettes in the past year), risky drinking (five or more drinks per day on at least one occasion in the past year), and problem drinking (endorsement of any alcohol-related problem happening on more than one occasion, such as driving a car while drunk, in the past year) along with Service member deployment status, communication, and stress. The findings suggest that characteristics such as communication about deployment and stress are the most impactful on military spouses.