Background
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RQ1: What service member characteristics are associated with referring spouses?
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RQ2: Did recruitment strategy impact spouse response rates or moderate factors associated with response propensity?
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RQ3: Did recruitment strategy impact final spouse representation?
Methods
Study population and procedures
Analytic subgroups
Measures
Demographic and military data
Stress
Stress of military life
Marital quality and duration
Individual health and adjustment
Statistical analyses
Results
RQ1: What service member characteristics are associated with referring spouses?
Service member characteristics | Overall | Referring | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
N = 25,017 | n = 8209 | |||
n
a
| (%)b |
n
a
| (%)c | |
Demographics | ||||
Sex | ||||
Male | 19,272 | (86.1) | 6626 | (34.1) |
Female | 5745 | (13.9) | 1583 | (26.8) |
Age (years) | ||||
17–24 | 7207 | (32.9) | 2241 | (32.3) |
25–34 | 15,448 | (60.4) | 5153 | (33.4) |
35–44 | 2082 | (6.2) | 710 | (33.6) |
> 44 | 280 | (0.6) | 105 | (37.4) |
Race/ethnicity | ||||
White, non-Hispanic | 18,540 | (69.1) | 6393 | (35.3) |
Black, non-Hispanic | 2202 | (12.3) | 562 | (26.1) |
Hispanic | 2290 | (11.0) | 655 | (28.6) |
Other | 1985 | (7.7) | 599 | (30.5) |
Education | ||||
Less than bachelor’s | 18,250 | (81.5) | 5760 | (32.4) |
Bachelor’s or higher | 6767 | (18.5) | 2449 | (36.0) |
Number of children | ||||
0 | 10,890 | (43.6) | 3210 | (29.7) |
1 | 6966 | (27.9) | 2314 | (33.8) |
2 | 4605 | (18.4) | 1648 | (35.8) |
3 or more | 2556 | (10.1) | 1037 | (40.8) |
Financial problems | ||||
Not bothered | 14,390 | (54.0) | 4185 | (29.2) |
Bothered a little or a lot | 10,353 | (46.0) | 3969 | (37.9) |
Military characteristics | ||||
Deployment status | ||||
Nondeployed | 8938 | (32.5) | 2865 | (31.9) |
Deployed without combat | 3362 | (12.7) | 891 | (26.5) |
Deployed with combat | 12,594 | (54.8) | 4443 | (35.6) |
Service branch | ||||
Air Force | 7770 | (19.0) | 2088 | (25.4) |
Army | 10,976 | (49.3) | 3976 | (35.8) |
Marine Corps | 2181 | (14.6) | 744 | (33.3) |
Navy/Coast Guard | 4090 | (17.2) | 1401 | (33.5) |
Component | ||||
Active duty | 19,863 | (80.3) | 6305 | (32.1) |
Reserve/National Guard | 5154 | (19.8) | 1904 | (37.1) |
Pay grade | ||||
Enlisted | 20,434 | (90.6) | 6550 | (32.7) |
Officer | 4583 | (9.4) | 1659 | (36.3) |
Individual health and adjustment | ||||
Mental component score | ||||
Lowest 15th percentile | 3578 | (16.8) | 1375 | (37.9) |
Middle 70th percentile | 16,698 | (69.2) | 5597 | (33.7) |
Highest 15th percentile | 3578 | (14.0) | 1109 | (32.6) |
Physical component score | ||||
Lowest 15th percentile | 3578 | (16.5) | 1325 | (37.4) |
Middle 70th percentile | 16,700 | (69.5) | 5631 | (34.1) |
Highest 15th percentile | 3576 | (14.0) | 1125 | (31.4) |
Posttraumatic growth index score, mean (SE) | 40.39 | (0.08) | 40.12 | (0.13) |
Difficulties with significant other | ||||
Not bothered | 16,383 | (63.4) | 5070 | (31.2) |
Bothered a little or a lot | 8366 | (36.6) | 3082 | (36.8) |
Caring for others | ||||
Not bothered | 17,188 | (68.3) | 5210 | (30.5) |
Bothered a little or a lot | 7542 | (31.7) | 2933 | (39.0) |
No one to turn to | ||||
Not bothered | 20,145 | (79.7) | 6429 | (32.2) |
Bothered a little or a lot | 4530 | (20.4) | 1713 | (37.6) |
Service member characteristics | Unadjusted | Adjusteda | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
OR | 95% CI | AOR | 95% CI | |
Demographics | ||||
Sex | ||||
Male | 1.43 | (1.33–1.54) | 1.36 | (1.26–1.48) |
Female | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Age (years) | ||||
17–24 | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
25–34 | 1.05 | (0.98–1.12) | 0.90 | (0.84–0.97) |
35–44 | 1.04 | (0.93–1.17) | 0.71 | (0.62–0.82) |
> 44 | 1.25 | (0.94–1.67) | 0.89 | (0.65–1.22) |
Race/ethnicity | ||||
White, non-Hispanic | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Black, non-Hispanic | 0.66 | (0.59–0.74) | 0.65 | (0.58–0.73) |
Hispanic | 0.76 | (0.69–0.85) | 0.71 | (0.64–0.80) |
Other | 0.81 | (0.73–0.91) | 0.83 | (0.73–0.93) |
Education | ||||
Less than bachelor’s | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Bachelor’s or higher | 1.14 | (1.07–1.23) | 1.23 | (1.10–1.37) |
Number of children | ||||
0 | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
1 | 1.24 | (1.15–1.33) | 1.22 | (1.13–1.31) |
2 | 1.36 | (1.36–1.48) | 1.32 | (1.21–1.45) |
3 or more | 1.66 | (1.51–1.84) | 1.59 | (1.43–1.78) |
Financial problems | ||||
Not bothered | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Bothered a little or a lot | 1.50 | (1.41–1.59) | 1.28 | (1.20–1.38) |
Military characteristics | ||||
Deployment status | ||||
Nondeployed | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Deployed without combat | 0.86 | (0.78–0.96) | 0.97 | (0.88–1.08) |
Deployed with combat | 1.15 | (1.08–1.23) | 1.10 | (1.02–1.18) |
Service branch | ||||
Air Force | 0.60 | (0.56–0.64) | 0.70 | (0.65–0.76) |
Army | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Marine Corps | 0.89 | (0.80–0.99) | 0.94 | (0.84–1.05) |
Navy/Coast Guard | 0.89 | (0.82–0.97) | 1.05 | (0.95–1.15) |
Component | ||||
Active duty | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Reserve/National Guard | 1.24 | (1.15–1.33) | 1.20 | (1.10–1.30) |
Pay grade | ||||
Enlisted | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Officer | 1.14 | (1.06–1.23) | 1.09 | (0.97–1.23) |
Individual health and adjustment | ||||
Mental component score | ||||
Lowest 15th percentile | 1.21 | (1.11–1.31) | 1.02 | (0.92–1.13) |
Middle 70th percentile | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Highest 15th percentile | 0.95 | (0.87–1.04) | 1.04 | (0.95–1.15) |
Physical component score | ||||
Lowest 15th percentile | 1.15 | (1.06–1.25) | 1.05 | (0.96–1.14) |
Middle 70th percentile | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Highest 15th percentile | 0.88 | (0.81–0.96) | 0.90 | (0.82–0.99) |
Posttraumatic growth index score (10 units) | 1.00 | (0.99–1.00) | 1.01 | (1.00–1.01) |
Difficulties with significant other | ||||
Not bothered | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Bothered a little or a lot | 1.29 | (1.21–1.37) | 1.07 | (0.99–1.16) |
Caring for others | ||||
Not bothered | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Bothered a little or a lot | 1.47 | (1.38–1.57) | 1.20 | (1.11–1.30) |
No one to turn to | ||||
Not bothered | 1.00b | 1.00b | ||
Bothered a little or a lot | 1.29 | (1.19–1.39) | 1.07 | (0.97–1.17) |
RQ2: Did recruitment strategy impact spouse response rates or moderate factors associated with response propensity?
RQ3: Did recruitment strategy impact final spouse representation?
Spouse characteristics | Referred | Direct | p-valuec | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
N = 5307 | N = 3436 | ||||
n
a
| (%)b |
n
a
| (%)b | ||
Demographics | |||||
Sex | .0067 | ||||
Male | 725 | (7.4) | 401 | (6.1) | |
Female | 4582 | (92.6) | 3035 | (93.9) | |
Age (years) | <.0001* | ||||
17–24 | 1339 | (31.7) | 675 | (25.1) | |
25–34 | 3309 | (58.8) | 2344 | (65.7) | |
35–44 | 533 | (8.0) | 333 | (7.5) | |
> 44 | 126 | (1.4) | 84 | (1.6) | |
Race/ethnicity | .0285 | ||||
White, non-Hispanic | 4183 | (76.5) | 2622 | (73.6) | |
Black, non-Hispanic | 226 | (5.7) | 146 | (5.6) | |
Hispanic | 461 | (10.1) | 332 | (11.2) | |
Other | 410 | (7.8) | 315 | (9.6) | |
Education | .0067 | ||||
Less than bachelor’s | 3198 | (67.3) | 1979 | (64.2) | |
Bachelor’s or higher | 2097 | (32.7) | 1447 | (35.8) | |
Number of children | <.0001* | ||||
0 | 2105 | (40.1) | 1475 | (42.5) | |
1 | 1464 | (27.8) | 1015 | (29.6) | |
2 | 1061 | (19.7) | 657 | (19.7) | |
3 or more | 677 | (12.4) | 289 | (8.2) | |
Employment | <.0001* | ||||
Full-time | 1730 | (29.7) | 1284 | (35.2) | |
Part-time | 694 | (13.7) | 404 | (12.1) | |
Not employed, looking for work | 536 | (11.3) | 298 | (9.6) | |
Not employed, not looking for work | 246 | (4.5) | 150 | (4.6) | |
Homemaker | 1849 | (36.2) | 1130 | (33.5) | |
Student | 237 | (4.6) | 160 | (5.1) | |
Financial problems or worries | .0003* | ||||
Not bothered | 2480 | (42.3) | 1761 | (46.7) | |
Bothered a little or a lot | 2754 | (57.7) | 1651 | (53.3) | |
Military characteristics of the service member | |||||
Deployment status | <.0001* | ||||
Nondeployed | 1783 | (29.9) | 1190 | (32.2) | |
Deployed without combat | 594 | (10.4) | 473 | (13.4) | |
Deployed with combat | 2925 | (59.8) | 1751 | (54.4) | |
Service branch | <.0001* | ||||
Air Force | 1338 | (14.4) | 1180 | (21.8) | |
Army | 2561 | (53.3) | 1383 | (45.0) | |
Marine Corps | 485 | (14.6) | 292 | (14.5) | |
Navy/Coast Guard | 923 | (17.8) | 581 | (18.7) | |
Component | .0006* | ||||
Active duty | 4109 | (78.1) | 2773 | (81.4) | |
Reserve/National Guard | 1198 | (21.9) | 663 | (18.6) | |
Pay grade | .0785 | ||||
Enlisted | 4002 | (87.2) | 2552 | (86.1) | |
Officer | 1305 | (12.8) | 884 | (13.9) | |
Spouse’s military experience | .2629 | ||||
Never | 4374 | (85.9) | 2784 | (84.6) | |
Prior | 488 | (6.7) | 341 | (7.3) | |
Current | 432 | (7.4) | 302 | (8.1) | |
Individual health and adjustment | |||||
Mental component score | .0028 | ||||
Lowest 15th percentile | 833 | (17.7) | 462 | (14.8) | |
Middle 70th percentile | 3609 | (69.0) | 2428 | (70.2) | |
Highest 15th percentile | 772 | (13.3) | 523 | (15.0) | |
Physical component score | .0534 | ||||
Lowest 15th percentile | 815 | (16.6) | 480 | (14.8) | |
Middle 70th percentile | 3640 | (69.0) | 2391 | (69.6) | |
Highest 15th percentile | 759 | (14.3) | 542 | (15.7) | |
Marital | |||||
Years of marriage | <.0001* | ||||
< 2 | 810 | (19.4) | 380 | (14.7) | |
2–5 | 2978 | (57.8) | 1974 | (57.8) | |
6–10 | 1095 | (18.5) | 826 | (22.3) | |
≥ 11 | 338 | (4.4) | 238 | (5.2) | |
Difficulties with significant other | .0003* | ||||
Not bothered | 3414 | (62.8) | 2366 | (67.1) | |
Bothered a little or a lot | 1806 | (37.2) | 1048 | (32.9) | |
Abbreviated quality of marriage index, mean (SE) | 17.15 | (0.06) | 17.13 | (0.08) | .8263 |
Military life | |||||
Months away from home (service member), mean (SE) | 3.31 | (0.06) | 3.02 | (0.07) | .0009* |
Hours of work per week (service member), mean (SE) | 45.77 | (0.32) | 46.40 | (0.39) | .2116 |
Work-family conflict scale, mean (SE) | 21.44 | (0.08) | 21.41 | (0.10) | .8255 |
Deployment stress, mean (SE) | 1.67 | (0.02) | 1.59 | (0.02) | .0026 |
Injury stress, mean (SE) | 0.63 | (0.02) | 0.61 | (0.02) | .3100 |
Family stress, mean (SE) | 1.69 | (0.02) | 1.63 | (0.02) | .0417 |
Family | |||||
Caring for others | .0028 | ||||
Not bothered | 2867 | (54.3) | 1999 | (58.0) | |
Bothered a little or a lot | 2358 | (45.7) | 1414 | (42.0) |