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Table 4 Associations between demographic and service-related factors and employment outcomes (N = 4292)

From: Military and demographic predictors of mental ill-health and socioeconomic hardship among UK veterans

Factor

Value

Unemployed (%)

mOR unemployment (95% CI)

mOR unemploymenta (95% CI)

Financial difficulty (%)

OR (95% CI)

AOR (95% CI)b

Sex

Male

263 (7.4)

1

1

546 (20.2)

1

 

Female

34 (8.1)

1.22 (0.84–1.78)

1.20 (0.74–1.94)

55 (17.8)

0.85 (0.63–1.16)

 

Age

< 25

40 (19.6)

5.61 (3.69–8.55)***

2.74 (1.46–5.15)**

7 (28.0)

1.42 (0.59–3.44)

0.48 (0.16–1.41)

25–29

37 (10.8)

2.07 (1.38–3.09)***

1.16 (0.66–2.03)

30 (30.3)

1.59 (1.01–2.49)*

0.72 (0.42–1.26)

30–34

44 (7.4)

1.23 (0.85–1.78)

0.75 (0.46–1.22)

120 (26.7)

1.33 (1.04–1.71)*

0.70 (0.51–0.97)*

35–39

26 (7.2)

1.17 (0.75–1.84)

0.79 (0.47–1.35)

62 (22.0)

1.03 (0.75–1.41)

0.81 (0.56–1.16)

40–49

95 (6.3)

1

1

264 (21.5)

1

1

50+

55 (5.6)

1.06 (0.75–1.50)

1.30 (0.88–1.93)

118 (12.8)

0.54 (0.42–0.68)***

0.75 (0.57–0.98)*

Education

No qualifications

35 (15.7)

2.58 (1.69–3.93)***

2.29 (1.41–3.72)**

44 (31.0)

1.66 (1.13–2.44)*

1.51 (0.97–2.33)

O-levels/ equivalent

111 (10.0)

1.49 (1.12–1.98)**

1.20 (0.86–1.67)

189 (26.9)

1.36 (1.09–1.70)**

1.31 (1.02–1.67)*

A-levels/ equivalent

96 (7.1)

1

1

221 (21.3)

1

1

Degree or higher

50 (4.0)

0.55 (0.38–0.78)**

0.63 (0.42–0.94)*

146 (13.1)

0.56 (0.44–0.70)***

0.89 (0.69–1.16)

Childhood family adversity

0/1

156 (5.8)

1

1

340 (17.8)

1

1

2/3

62 (8.0)

1.40 (1.03–1.91)*

1.33 (0.95–1.86)

111 (20.3)

1.17 (0.92–1.49)

1.04 (0.81–1.35)

4+

56 (8.5)

1.53 (1.11–2.11)*

1.15 (0.79–1.65)

119 (27.7)

1.77 (1.39–2.26)***

1.45 (1.11–1.89)**

Childhood externalising behaviour

No

197 (5.7)

1

1

435 (17.5)

1

1

Yes

84 (12.1)

2.21 (1.68–2.90)***

1.32 (0.94–1.86)

142 (33.4)

2.36 (1.88–2.96)***

1.55 (1.20–2.01)**

Rank

Officer

38 (4.5)

0.90 (0.61–1.34)

1.34 (0.86–2.11)

62 (8.4)

0.44 (0.32–0.59)***

0.56 (0.40–0.78)**

Senior NCO

83 (5.6)

1

1

214 (17.3)

1

1

Junior NCO

80 (8.9)

1.64 (1.19–2.25)**

1.25 (0.83–1.90)

186 (29.8)

2.03 (1.62–2.54)***

1.87 (1.42–2.46)***

Other rank

92 (12.1)

2.54 (1.86–3.48)***

1.42 (0.85–2.38)

139 (33.8)

2.44 (1.90–3.14)***

2.39 (1.67–3.42)***

Service arm

Naval Services

58 (8.1)

1.06 (0.78–1.44)

1.29 (0.91–1.83)

97 (17.6)

0.78 (0.61–1.00)*

0.89 (0.67–1.18)

Army

188 (7.8)

1

1

385 (21.5)

1

1

RAF

51 (6.0)

0.80 (0.58–1.11)

1.09 (0.75–1.58)

119 (17.8)

0.79 (0.63–0.99)*

0.99 (0.76–1.29)

Deployment to Iraq/Afghanistan

Did not deploy

113 (7.8)

1

1

174 (17.9)

1

1

Deployed

189 (13.1)

0.87 (0.68–1.11)

1.02 (0.76–1.36)

427 (21.0)

1.22 (1.01–1.49)*

1.08 (0.86–1.35)

Role in parent unit

Combat support/CSS

183 (6.4)

1

1

395 (18.2)

1

1

Combat

112 (10.1)

1.61 (1.26–2.06)***

1.10 (0.81–1.51)

204 (24.7)

1.48 (1.22–1.79)***

1.22 (0.97–1.53)

Method of leaving

Planned

179 (5.2)

1

1

465 (17.7)

1

1

Unplanned

30 (19.7)

4.59 (2.98–7.08)***

3.04 (1.85–5.00)***

31 (36.5)

2.67 (1.70–4.20)***

2.17 (1.33–3.54)**

Medical

69 (25.9)

6.75 (4.90–9.28)***

6.40 (4.50–9.09)***

80 (40.6)

3.18 (2.35–4.30)***

2.50 (1.80–3.48)***

  1. * p < 0.05 ** p < 0.01 *** p < 0.001
  2. aAdjusted for all factors except sex and deployment
  3. bAdjusted for all factors except sex
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