title: Factors associated with heavy alcohol consumption in the U.K. armed forces: data from a health survey of Gulf, Bosnia, and era veterans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the patterns of alcohol use in the U.K. Armed Forces or the factors associated with heavy drinking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of existing data from the King's Military Cohort was conducted of a large, randomly selected cohort of service personnel. The original sample consisted of 8,195 service personnel who served in the U.K. Armed Forces in 1991: a third deployed to the Gulf (1990-1991), a third deployed to Bosnia (1992-1997), and the final third, an "Era" comparison group, in the Armed Forces in 1991 but not deployed. For the purposes of this study, female serving personnel were excluded. The study used a "case-control" study design nested within the above cohort; "heavy drinkers" (those who drank >30 units/week) were compared with "light drinkers" (those who drank <21 units a week).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Heavy drinking was associated with current military service and being unmarried or separated/divorced. Heavy drinking was more common in younger personnel who had deployed to Bosnia. Those who drank heavily were also more likely to smoke; heavy drinking was associated with poorer subjective physical and mental health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Certain subgroups of the Armed Forces appear to be more at risk and it may be possible to target resources to such individuals to improve detection and allow prompt treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Centre for Military Health Research, King's College, 3rd Floor, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London, UK.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waterdrinker
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fear
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hotopf
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wessely
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007493:Iraq; D007730:Kuwait; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014857:Warfare