Military Work and Drinking: Risks and Prevention
Principal Investigator: Genevieve M. Ames, Ph.D.
Project Director: Carol B. Cunradi, M.P.H., Ph.D.

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Findings from worldwide surveys of U.S. military personnel indicate that nearly one in five members of the military is a heavy drinker. Little is known, however, about how workplace drinking cultures and work settings influence drinking behavior of this occupational category. We have chosen the U.S. Naval service for this study because its work resembles that of not only military but also non-military public safety occupations. Further, the focus on both officer and regular enlistees offers generalizability to management and non-managerial jobs in the American workforce. Many who retire or separate from the military in their late 30's continue their heavy drinking careers, with negative consequences carrying over into civilian life. The overall goal of this study is to gain an understanding of the influence of the various kinds of job categories on drinking beliefs, behaviors, and problems of military men and women. This is important because the findings can be applied toward developing environmental strategies for the prevention of alcohol-related problems within both civilian and military populations.

Our research design uses a mixed method approach that integrates ethnographic, survey, and archival data. Specifically, our plans include conducting 100 semi-structured interviews with Naval careerists who have served at least seven years; collecting and analyzing data from a cross-sectional survey of 3,500 careerists, with over-sampling for women and minorities; and examination and assessment of archival data, including Navy alcohol and alcohol-related policies. Using these triangulated methods, our research will focus on observing drinking patterns in work and non-work related settings; analyzing the effects of alcohol consumption patterns on alcohol-related problems both within and outside of work; examining drinking and drinking problems as related to individual demographic and background variables, and psychosocial factors; assessing the relationship between physical, social, and cultural characteristics of the workplace and drinking patterns and problems; studying the effect of regimented or military-style culture at large on drinking patterns; and investigating how gender and ethnicity influence drinking and drinking problems within the context of military workplaces, and how ethnicity and gender issues moderate the influence of other factors.

Preliminary ethnographic results indicate that although on-the-job drinking is rare, heavy drinking subcultures exist on most bases. Heavy drinking is also associated with liberty or shore leave while on deployment or in the field (away from home base or port). Our findings indicate that heavy drinking tends to cluster among certain occupational groups, as an example, fleet engineers who work below deck or aviators. Certain aspects of military culture, and other aspects of work environments, such as high stress, danger, role modeling, social control and traditional rituals, tend to support or conversely inhibit heavy drinking by occupational groupings and geographical location. When we corroborate these findings with our survey results, we expect to find quantitative evidence of the influence of environmental and occupational factors on normative beliefs and expectancies endorsing drinking and related activities, which in turn increase the risk of engaging in heavy or problem drinking, especially during deployment.

The findings of our research will have a direct impact on prevention efforts since they will guide Naval Headquarters and other military departments in reformulation of alcohol, health, and work policies. Currently, prevention program specialists in the Navy report that they have an individual-focused and education-oriented approach to intervention that is not fully effective. These programs do not include intervention strategies targeted towards changes in the work culture that have potential to bring about reduction in problematic drinking patterns. Our research team has agreed to meet with Naval medical, prevention, and personnel specialists annually to share current findings, and, based on that information, make recommendations for other interventions that might have a significant effect.


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