@article{ref1,
title="Alcohol screening and brief intervention among military service members and veterans: rural-urban disparities",
journal="BMJ military health",
year="2020",
author="McDaniel, Justin T. and Albright, D. L. and Laha-Walsh, K. and Henson, H. and McIntosh, S.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
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. <br><br>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. <br><br>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. <br><br>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. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Greater access to telehealth or other geographically flexible screening and brief intervention programmes is needed in rural areas for service members and veterans.<br><br>© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2633-3767",
doi="10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001479",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001479"
}