Publication year
2018
Citation Title
Smoking and drinking behaviors of military spouses: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Family Study.
Journal Name
Addictive Behaviors
Journal Volume
77
Page Numbers
121-130
DOI
10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.09.015
Summary
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.
Key Findings
Current smoking was reported by 17.2% of spouses, risky drinking by 36.3%, and problem drinking by 7.3%.
All three problem behaviors (smoking, risky drinking, and problem drinking) increased when the spouse cared for an ill, injured, or disabled Service member.
Service members who communicated about their deployment experiences had lower odds of being current smokers than spouses who did not communicate.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate military couples who have a history of trauma before deployment on positive coping skills
Offer workshops during reintegration to help families and Service members adjust to the Service member’s return
Provide workshops to help deployed Service members’ spouses learn about available supportive services to handle increased responsibilities and stress during deployment
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that can promote resilience in Service members, their partners, and children
Continue to support programs that address the unique challenges faced by spouses of deployed Service members
Recommend training for professionals who work with military families to educate them about unique factors that contribute to marital strain for military couples
Methods
The population for this study was drawn from 9,872 spouses from the Millennium Cohort Family Study who were married to Millennium Cohort Study family members.
Among Service members who completed a Millennium Cohort questionnaire, their spouses were invited to participate in the Family Cohort Study.
Spouses were asked to report if they had experienced any of the following events in the past year: 1) Service member combat-related deployment or study assignment, 2) Service member combat-related injury, and 3) providing care for an ill, injured, or disabled Service member. Stress levels were assessed based on responses.
Participants
Of the participants 9,282 were current smokers, 9,242 were risky drinkers, and 9,182 were problem drinkers.
The race/ethnicity of the participants who were current smokers was 7,313 White, 376 Black, 835 Hispanic, and 754 other.
Participants were mostly female (87%) with an average age of 28.5 years, were mostly White (79%), and had an associate degree or less (59%). Service members had two to five years of military service and were from all branches.
Limitations
All participants in this study were in heterosexual relationships; therefore, the findings may not generalize to all military couples.
Current smoking behaviors may not be represented as the measure used to assess tobacco use was from the past year, not the current year.
Much of the data in this study was self-report from participants and may be subject to social desirability bias.
Avenues for Future Research
Assess the long-term effects of parents' risky drinking and smoking behaviors has on children in military families
Examine how agreement and lack of agreement in smoking and drinking behaviors of military couples may impact deployment, communication, and spousal reaction to communication
Conduct studies on racial and gender differences of military spouses' drinking and smoking behaviors and differential effects on health outcomes
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
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. Using 9,872 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. 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. 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.
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