Female Soldiers, Veterans Drink Less Than Civilian Counterparts

Female soldiers and veterans are less likely than civilian women to drink alcohol, according to a new study.

Researchers found that women in the military are less likely to drink than civilian women.

The latest study involved data from surveys of nearly 9,000 men and women who were currently members of the U.S. military or who were military veterans. Participants were asked about to answer questions about their alcohol consumption in the previous 30 days.

"Women react differently to their experience in the military than do men," researchers wrote in the study.

"We suspect that part of the reason for the negative link between military service and alcohol use for women is the threat of sexual harassment and assault that is common in the military. Alcohol use is tightly linked to sexual assault, both within and outside the military, and women who serve may become particularly aware of this linkage. It may also be the case that in order to justify their place in the military that women abstain from using alcohol, especially to the extent that their participation in particular military occupation specialties based on use of alcohol is subject to critical review based on their gender," the added.

However, the longer an individual serves, the more likely they are to drink- regardless of gender, according to researchers Jay Teachman, Carter Anderson, and Lucky Tedrow. They also found that veterans who have served in a combat zone are more likely to drink alcohol.

"Our models, while not perfect, provide evidence that military service leads to more alcohol consumption among service members that would have been the case if they had not served," researchers concluded. "This finding should provide for increased emphasis on efforts to reduce the culture of alcohol consumption in the military."

The findings are published in the journal Armed Forces & Society.