Citation

McDaniel JT, Albright DL, Laha-Walsh K, Henson H, McIntosh S. BMJ Mil. Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

School of Social Work, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001479

PMID

32349987

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Access to screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment programmes for alcohol use have been shown to be effective; however, little is known about access to these services among service members and veterans. We examined the association of service member or veteran rural-dwelling area and the following outcomes: recent general health check-up, alcohol screening and alcohol brief intervention.

METHODS: Data on 5080 military service members and veterans were obtained from the 2017 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System of the USA. We estimated rural-urban disparities in the receipt of a recent voluntary general health check-up, as well as the receipt of alcohol screening and brief intervention, using a mixed logit model.

RESULTS: Of the 5080 participants in the study, a total of 4666 (90.49%, 95% CI 89.39% to 91.48%) reported a general health check-up in the last 2 years.

RESULTS showed 7.48% of the sample (95% CI 6.64% to 8.41%) exhibited heavy alcohol consumption patterns. Of the 414 participants who did not undergo a general health check-up, 13.80% (95% CI 9.63% to 19.41%) exhibited a pattern of heavy alcohol consumption. Rural individuals were less likely to report a recent health check-up (adjusted OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.87). Rurality was also independently associated with decreased likelihood of receiving an alcohol screening and brief intervention.

CONCLUSION: Greater access to telehealth or other geographically flexible screening and brief intervention programmes is needed in rural areas for service members and veterans.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Language: en

Keywords

health informatics; public health; substance misuse