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Prevalence and Severity of Alcohol and Cannabis Use Across the Urban‐Rural Continuum in the Michigan National Guard
Author(s) -
Coughlin Lara N.,
Walton Maureen A.,
McCormick Richard,
Blow Frederic C.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.439
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1748-0361
pISSN - 0890-765X
DOI - 10.1111/jrh.12412
Subject(s) - cannabis , national guard , medicine , environmental health , odds , demography , psychological intervention , poison control , logistic regression , psychiatry , public administration , sociology , political science
Purpose The National Guard provides critical support both domestically and abroad with soldiers dispersed throughout America and spanning the urban‐rural continuum. To determine if location‐specific interventions may be needed, we compared the prevalence and severity of cannabis and alcohol use among National Guard members across localities. Methods Michigan National Guard members were enrolled (N = 2,746) during drill weekends as part of a larger randomized behavioral trial. Cannabis (ASSIST; prevalence = 5%) and alcohol use (AUDIT; prevalence = 82%) were compared using hurdle regression models across locality status after adjusting for covariates. Findings Prevalence of cannabis and alcohol use was predicted by locality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.913, 95% CI: 0.838‐0.986, P = .029; AOR = 0.963, 95% CI: 0.929‐0.998, P = .038, respectively), with more use in urban localities. Neither severity of cannabis nor alcohol use was predicted by locality status. Conclusions Prevalence of cannabis and alcohol use in the National Guard is differentially elevated across localities with higher prevalence in more central, densely populated areas. Findings may inform future work considering accessibility and utilization of prevention and treatment services for Guard members across the urban‐rural continuum.