title: Potentially modifiable deployment characteristics and new-onset alcohol abuse or dependence in the US National Guard.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a limited amount of data examining the relation between the onset of alcohol abuse/dependence and the experiences of soldiers prior to (pre), during (peri) and after (post) military deployment. Some deployment characteristics, e.g., military unit cohesion, are potentially modifiable in the context of reducing alcohol abuse/dependence peri-/post deployment. We investigated the associations between potentially modifiable deployment characteristics and peri-/post (incident) alcohol abuse/dependence among deployed Ohio Army National Guard (OHARNG) soldiers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a sample of OHARNG (June, 2008 to February, 2009), eligible participants were ever been deployed and did not report alcohol abuse/dependence prior to deployment (final sample size=963). Interviews assessed soldiers' alcohol abuse/dependence, depression, PTSD, deployment related factors (e.g., exposure to warzone stressors) and three deployment characteristics (pre-deployment preparedness, unit support during deployment, and post-deployment social support). Associations between the three deployment characteristics and incident alcohol abuse/dependence (defined as abuse or dependence at any point during or after deployment) were estimated using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only pre-deployment preparedness was associated with incident alcohol abuse/dependence (a non-linear inverted-u shaped relation) when controlling for demographics, deployment related factors (e.g., exposure to warzone stressors), and the presence of psychopathology that exhibited peri-/post-deployment. We present these results graphically, plotting incident alcohol abuse/dependence over the levels of pre-deployment preparedness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between pre-deployment preparedness and alcohol abuse/dependence may be characterized as an inverted-U shaped function. Suggestions for how and whether to modify pre-deployment preparedness in an effort to reduce peri-/post-deployment alcohol abuse or dependence should await further research.
authors: Social and Decision Analytics Lab-Virginia Bioinformatics Inst., Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State Univ., National Capital Region, 900 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22203, USA. Electronic address: morr9@vbi.vt.edu.
authors: Mark G
authors: MG
authors: Orr
authors: Microclinic International, 388 Market St., Suite 1300</addl>, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA.
authors: Marta R
authors: MR
authors: Prescott
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors: Gregory H
authors: GH
authors: Cohen
authors: University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, 10524 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors: Joseph R
authors: JR
authors: Calabrese
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Mail Stop 1193, 3120 Glendale Ave., Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
authors: Marijo B
authors: MB
authors: Tamburrino
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Bldg., 4250 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2215 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
authors: Israel
authors: I
authors: Liberzon
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors: Sandro
authors: S
authors: Galea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D009820:Ohio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcoholism; Military Medicine; Military Populations; Military environments