title: Substance use among military-connected youth: the California Healthy Kids Survey.
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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  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 (N=14,149). Items in the present analyses included present familial military affiliation (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.
authors: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA. tgilreat@usc.edu
authors: Tamika D
authors: TD
authors: Gilreath
authors: Julie A
authors: JA
authors: Cederbaum
authors: Ron Avi
authors: RA
authors: Astor
authors: Rami
authors: R
authors: Benbenishty
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Pineda
authors: Hazel
authors: H
authors: Atuel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*