Publication year
2013
Citation Title
Substance use among military-connected youth: The California Healthy Kids Survey
Journal Name
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Journal Volume
44
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
150-153
DOI
10.1016/j.amepre.2012.09.059
Summary
Young people in military-connected families may be exposed to negative stressors, related to family member deployment, and as such be more likely to engage in substance use. An examination of the prevalence and associations of lifetime and recent substance use in youth who were either connected or not connected to the military was conducted. Data were drawn from a subsample of the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey (N = 14,149) given in Southern California.
Key Findings
There were significant associations between the number of youth-reported deployments of a parent and youth’s lifetime levels of tobacco and other drug use.
Youth who reported having a sibling in the military had the highest prevalence of lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other drugs and prescription drugs.
Youth who reported having a parent serving in the military had the highest level of recent substance use.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer pre- and post-deployment support groups for youth and their families to support the development of positive coping skills
Incorporate social_emotional supports around deployment for youth and their family members to help cope with the Service members’ absence
Support campaigns that bring attention to the needs of youth and families with deployed family members
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend education of school professionals (e.g. counselors, teachers, principals) on the needs of youth of deployed parents
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that can support military-connected youth and their families health and well-being
Support collaboration between the DoD and local education units (e.g. elementary, middle, and high schools) in providing substance use prevention and coping skills curricula for military-connected youth
Methods
The study used the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey questions about students’ health-related behaviors, tobacco use, alcohol use, drug use, violence behaviors, and school safety.
Recent levels of substance use were defined as use within the past 30 days; whereas, levels of lifetime substance use were defined as the likelihood that there may be a substantial portion of youth who, although they may have “ever” tried alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana, had not used within the past 30 days.
Analysis was conducted in order to compare demographics and key variables related to military connection and predict the probability of lifetime versus never use (separately for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other drugs, and prescription drugs), and recent versus non-recent use.
Participants
Fifty-two percent of youth respondents were female and 48% were male.
Respondents identified as Asian-American 9%, Black 3%, White 28%, Other 12%, and Latino 48% and were equally distributed across the 7th, 9th, and 11th grades.
Seventy-three percent of youth did not have a family member who had deployed, 10% of youth had a parent who deployed once, and 18% had a parent who deployed two or more times.
Limitations
The study used preexisting data; therefore, there were a number of contextual factors that couldn’t be controlled (e.g. mental health of parents, types of deployment, and families).
The survey from which the data were drawn was administered in one region of the US; therefore, generalizability to other military contexts cannot be made.
It is unclear in article how many variables were included in each analysis which affects the strength of the association between them.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore how maternal deployment may affect youth and their substance use differently than paternal deployment
Identify and test different measures and variables to better understand the active contributors to military-connected youth outcomes such as substance use and well-being
Examine qualitatively military-connected youth’s experience having a family member deployed
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Background: Young people in military-connected families may be exposed to deleterious stressors, related to family member deployment, that have been associated with externalizing behaviors such as substance use. Substance use predisposes youth to myriad health and social problems across the life span. Purpose: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of lifetime and recent substance use in a normative sample of youth who were either connected or not connected to the military. Methods: Data are from a subsample of the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey (N14,149). Items in the present analyses included present familial military aff?liation (no one, parent, sibling); number of deployments (none, one, two or more); gender; grade; and race/ethnicity. Substance use items assessed whether the youth reported lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other drugs, or prescription drugs; and recent (past 30 days) use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. Results: Multivariate analysis conducted in 2012 revealed that an increase in the number of deployments was associated with a higher likelihood of lifetime and recent use, with the exception of lifetime smoking. Conclusions: These results indicate that experiences associated with deployment of a family member
may increase the likelihood of substance use.
may increase the likelihood of substance use.
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