Sponsor
The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014, is the awarding and administering acquisition offi ce. This work was supported by the Offi ce of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, through the USAMRMC Broad Agency Announcement under Award No. W81XWH-13-2-0020. Portions of this research were supported by the Grant # T03OH008435.
Published In
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-13-2017
Subjects
Soldiers -- Alcohol use -- United States, Veterans -- Alcohol use -- United States, Medical screening
Abstract
Objective: Hazardous drinking in the armed forces is a signifi cant problem. Alcohol use motivations, known risk factors for problem drinking, have been underexplored in this population. Our study extends knowledge about drinking motives among current and former U.S. service members and provides recommendations on their utility in identifying alcohol-related problems by examining the factor structure of multidimensional drinking motives and their association to alcohol use.
Method: Post-9/11 separated service members and current reservists were recruited from 35 Oregon employers to participate in a workplace study of supervisor support. The resulting sample (N = 509; 84% male; mean age = 39) completed a baseline assessment, which included a comprehensive drinking motives assessment.
Results: Drinkers comprised 88% of the sample, with a mean Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score of 5.4 (SD = 4.6); 23.9% scored 8 or more. The four-factor structure of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire–Revised, short form (DMQ-R-SF) was affirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. Internal drinking motives related to enhancement (positive) and coping (negative) were most predictive of alcohol use; coping motives were uniquely predictive of alcohol-related problems, when drinking quantity/frequency, as well as psychological distress, were controlled for. Coping motives also mediate the relationship between psychological distress and AUDIT scores. Results thus demonstrated the generalizability of the DMQ-R-SF motives measure for use with separated service members and reservists.
Conclusions: Drinking motives, assessed by the DMQ-R-SF, represent reliable and important predictors of drinking and associated problems among service members. Inclusion of motivated drinking questions may enhance screening for alcohol-related problems among current and former service members.
DOI
10.15288/jsad.2018.79.79
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/23068
Citation Details
Mohr, C. D., McCabe, C. T., Haverly, S. N., Hammer, L. B., & Carlson, K. F. (2018). Drinking Motives and Alcohol Use: The SERVe Study of US Current and Former Service Members. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 79(1), 79-87.
Description
To the best of our knowledge, this work was authored as part of the Contributor's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105.