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Table 2 Univariate Prevalence and Unadjusted Odds Ratios of PTSD Following Deployment among United States Marine Corps Health Assessment Project Participants, by Demographic and Exposure Characteristics

From: Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Deployed US Male Marines

 

Study population

  

PTSDa

 
 

N

n

%

ORb

(95% CI)b

Overall

706

76

10.8

  

Baseline characteristics

     

Age, years

     

   17-20

553

58

10.5

1.00

 

   21-31

153

18

11.8

1.14

(0.65-2.00)

Education

     

   High school or less

528

60

11.4

1.00

 

   More than high school

178

16

9.0

0.77

(0.43-1.38)

Race/ethnicity

     

   White non-Hispanic

474

44

9.3

1.00

 

   Hispanic

166

19

11.4

1.26

(0.72-2.23)

   Other

66

13

19.7

2.40

(1.21-4.74)

Adverse Childhood Experiences

     

   0

353

33

9.3

1.00

 

   1

244

24

9.8

1.05

(0.61-1.84)

   2-7

109

19

17.4

2.05

(1.11-3.77)

Prior Violence Exposures

     

   0

407

31

7.6

1.00

 

   1

179

24

13.4

1.88

(1.07-3.30)

   2-7

120

21

17.5

2.57

(1.42-4.67)

Potential problem drinking

     

   No

62

6

9.7

1.00

 

   Yes

644

70

10.9

0.88

(0.37-2.11)

Number of close friends/relatives

     

   0-2

203

26

12.8

1.13

(0.64-1.98)

   3-4

261

30

11.5

1.00

 

   5 or more

242

20

8.3

0.69

(0.38-1.26)

Follow-up and deployment characteristics

     

Number of close friends/relatives

     

   0-2

202

41

20.3

2.20

(1.27-3.82)

   3-4

222

23

10.4

1.00

 

   5 or more

282

12

4.3

0.38

(0.19-0.79)

Enlisted pay grade

     

   Junior enlisted (E1-E3)

334

48

14.4

2.08

(1.26-3.33)

   Noncommissioned officer (E4-E5)

372

28

7.5

1.00

 

Number of deployments

     

   1

433

34

7.9

1.00

 

   2

273

42

15.4

2.13

(1.32-3.45)

Length of last deployment

     

   1-120 days

211

29

13.7

1.00

 

   121-240 days

441

42

9.5

0.66

(0.40-1.09)

   >240 days

54

5

9.3

0.64

(0.24-1.74)

Cumulative length of deploymentsc

     

   31-120 days

136

12

8.8

1.00

 

   121-240 days

308

29

9.4

1.07

(0.53-2.17)

   241-360 days

172

23

13.4

1.60

(0.76-3.33)

   >360 days

90

12

13.3

1.59

(0.68-3.72)

Gap timed

     

   0 days

257

28

10.9

1.00

 

   1-180 days

222

18

8.1

0.72

(0.39-1.34)

   >180 days

257

30

13.2

1.25

(0.72-2.16)

Discharged a weapon

     

   No

386

21

5.4

1.00

 

   Yes

320

55

17.2

3.61

(2.13-6.11)

Shot or seriously injured

     

   No

665

61

9.2

1.00

 

   Yes

41

15

36.6

5.71

(2.87-11.36)

Felt in great danger of being killed

     

   Never/once/few times

399

17

4.3

1.00

 

   Often/very often

307

59

19.2

5.35

(3.05-9.38)

Personally saw someone wounded, killed, or dead

     

   No

248

9

3.6

1.00

 

   Yes

458

67

14.6

4.55

(2.23-9.29)

Believed you were exposed to any chemical, biological, or radiological warfare agents

     

   No/don't know

683

71

10.4

1.00

 

   Yes

23

5

21.7

2.39

(0.86-6.65)

Entered or closely inspected destroyed military vehicles

     

   No

320

21

6.6

1.00

 

   Yes

386

55

14.2

2.37

(1.40-4.01)

Number of Combat Exposures Types

     

   0

145

4

2.8

1.00

 

   1-3

379

29

7.7

2.92

(1.01-8.48)

   4-6

182

43

2.4

10.90

(3.80-31.3)

  1. Note. PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder; OR, odds ratio; CI confidence interval; PCL-C, PTSD Patient Checklist-Civilian Version; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.
  2. aPosttraumatic stress disorder based on PTSD Patient Checklist-Civilian Version with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition criteria and a sum of 50 points out of 85 points possible on the follow-up questionnaire.
  3. bUnadjusted odds ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals.
  4. cCumulative number of days deployed for all deployments that occurred between baseline and follow-up surveys.
  5. dDeployment occurred between baseline and follow-up in support of OEF/OIF operations.