Demographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial predictors of frequency of intoxication and other indicators as estimates of alcohol-related problems in Air Force basic military recruits.

This study examined demographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial variables to determine predictors of Air Force recruits who are likely to have alcohol-related problems. Subjects were all Air Force recruits (N = 32,144) entering basic training from August 1995 to September 1996. The dependent measures were self-reported frequency of eight or more drinks per occasion, frequency of fighting while drinking, and typical frequency of alcohol consumption. Demographic analysis revealed that individuals high on any dependent variable were more likely to be male, older, non-Hispanic whites with some college. Lifestyle predictors included positive attitudes toward drug use and smoking status, with risk greater for females than males and for non-whites than non-Hispanic whites at the same smoking level. Psychosocial predictors included positive rebellious attitudes, decreased seatbelt use, and positive risk-taking attitudes, with risk greater for females than males at the same risk attitude level. These findings suggest that problem drinking falls into a broader category of risky problem behaviors.