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Wednesday, January 9, 2008

How Do Experiences In Iraq Affect Alcohol Use Amongst Male Uk Armed Forces Personnel?
Occup Environ Med. Published Online First: 4 January 2008.

We have reported a statistically significant association between alcohol use and deployment to the 2003 Iraq War. This paper assesses the occupational factors and deployment experiences associated with "heavy drinking" in regular UK Servicemen deployed to Iraq in the first phase of the 2003 Iraq War (Operation TELIC 1; the military codename for the conflict in Iraq).

After adjustment for socio-demographic and military factors, and the presence of psychological distress, "heavy drinkers" were more likely to have had major problems at home during (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.70) and following their deployment (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.32-2.14).

Being deployed with their parent unit (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.02-1.61), medium to high in-theatre unit comradeship (medium: OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.77; high: OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.02-1.79), and poor unit leadership (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.37-2.31), were also associated with heavy drinking.

Deployment experiences and problems at home during and following deployment, as well as the occupational milieu of the unit, influence personnel’s risk of heavy drinking.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: n.fear@iop.kcl.ac.uk.

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