Gender differences in substance use treatment utilization in the year prior to deployment in Army service members

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 257 - 265
• Main Authors: Wooten, Nikki R., Ph.D., L.I.S.W.-C.P, Mohr, Beth A., M.S, Lundgren, Lena M., Ph.D, Adams, Rachel Sayko, Ph.D., M.P.H, Merrick, Elizabeth L., Ph.D., M.S.W, Williams, Thomas V., Ph.D, Larson, Mary Jo, Ph.D., M.P.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.2013; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Alcohol-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Armed forces; Armies; Army; Behavior modification; Biological and medical sciences; Combat veterans; Deployment; Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal; Drug testing; Female; Gelberg-Andersen behavioral model for vulnerable populations; Gender differences; Gender disparities; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Military deployment; Military Personnel - statistics & numerical data; Miscellaneous; Multivariate Analysis; Propensity Score; Propensity score model; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression Analysis; Sex Factors; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Substance abuse; Substance abuse treatment; Substance use diagnosis; Substance use treatment utilization; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Treatment; Treatments; Veterans; Women; United States; North America; America; Substance use treatment utilization; Military deployment; Army; Combat veterans; Substance use diagnosis; Propensity score model; Gelberg-Andersen behavioral model for vulnerable populations; Gender disparities; Social environment; Mental health; Sex; Health service; Gender; Propensity score; Behavioral analysis; Veteran; Public health; Human; Help seeking; Poison withdrawal; Alcoholism; Use; Substance abuse; Vulnerability; Treatment; Addiction; Sociodemographic factor; Disparity; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.04.001

Abstract Although military men have heavier drinking patterns, military women experience equal or higher rates of dependence symptoms and similar rates of alcohol-related problems as men at lower levels of consumption. Thus, gender may be important for understanding substance use treatment (SUT) utilization before deployment. Military health system data were analyzed to examine gender differences in both substance use diagnosis (SUDX) and SUT in 152,447 Army service members returning from deployments in FY2010. Propensity score analysis of probability of SUDX indicated that women had lower odds (AOR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.96) of military lifetime SUDX. After adjusting for lifetime SUDX using propensity score analysis, multivariate regression found women had substantially lower odds (AOR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.54-0.70) of using SUT the year prior to deployment. Findings suggest gender disparities in military-provided SUT and a need to consider whether military substance use assessment protocols are sensitive to gender differences.