Factors associated with heavy alcohol consumption in the U.K. armed forces: data from a health survey of Gulf, Bosnia, and era veterans.

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.