Combat Deployment is Associated With Sexual Harassment or Sexual Assault in a Large, Female Military Cohort
Abstract
Previous studies have examined the prevalence, risk factors, and health correlates of sexual stressors in the military, but they have been limited to specific subpopulations. Furthermore, little is known about sexual stressors occurrence and their correlates in relation to female troops deployed to the current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Participants included Millennium Cohort female participants who completed a baseline (2001 2003) and follow-up (2004 2006) questionnaire. Self-reported and personnel data were used to investigate the relation between recent deployment and sexual stressors using multivariable analyses. Main outcome measures were incident sexual harassment, sexual assault, or both were assessed using two questions at follow-up. Of 13 262 eligible participants, 1362 (10.3%) reported at least one sexual stressor at follow-up. Women who deployed and reported combat experiences were significantly more likely to report sexual harassment (odds ratio [OR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.84 2.64) or both sexual harassment and sexual assault (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.61 3.78) compared with nondeployers. In addition, statistically significant risk factors for sexual stressors included younger age, recent separation or divorce, service in the Marine Corps, positive screen for a baseline mental health condition, moderate/severe life stress, and prior sexual stressor experiences.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 11, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA620644
Entities
People
- Amanda Pietrucha
- Besa Smith
- Cynthia A LeardMann
- Gary Gackstetter
- Isabel Gomez Jacobson
- Kathryn M. Magruder
- Margaret A.K. Ryan
- Maureen Murdoch
- Tyler Clain Smith
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center