Abstract
Objective: To determine if posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with health risk behaviors among Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans attending college. Method: Using 2008 Boynton College Student Health Survey data, we tested associations between self-reported PTSD diagnosis and self-reported risk behaviors (n=406). Results: We found PTSD diagnosis to be significantly associated with reporting involvement in a physical fight in the past year (ARR = 3.1; 95% CI: 2.2, 4.4) and marginally associated with highrisk drinking (ARR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.6). However, no association was seen between PTSD and the tobacco use and other safety behaviors that we examined. Conclusion: PTSD is likely a factor that contributes to the relationship between military service and certain health risk behaviors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 387-392 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | American Journal of Health Behavior |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2011 |
Keywords
- Alcohol
- Health behaviors
- OEF/OIF
- Tobacco
- Veterans
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Social Psychology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health