Abstract
The present paper, accepted on February 14 th, is the final corrected version. There has been growing interest in the impacts of combat exposure on behavioral health outcomes such as alcohol use, risky driving and smoking in research on military personnel in recent years. One psychological factor that may explain such outcomes is an individuals’ risk-taking propensity. The present study thus examined the relationships of risk-taking propensity with demographic variables, deployment history, as well as a number of health and risk behaviors. Data collected as part of a comprehensive health survey in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 2008 and 2009 were analyzed. Participants included a sample of 2157 Regular Force members, stratified to reflect the Regular Force in terms of rank, sex, and deployment history. Using subscales of the Domain-Specific Risk Taking Scale (DOSPERT), participants’ levels of risk-taking propensity in the health and safety and in the recreational domains were assessed. Results consistently pointed to the higher levels of risk-taking propensity among younger respondents and men. While non-commissioned members (NCMs) reported higher levels of health and safety risk-taking propensity than officers, officers reported higher levels of recreational risk-taking propensity than NCMs. Variation in health and safety, but not recreational risk-taking propensity was found by deployment history. Health and safety risk-taking propensity was associated with a number of health-compromising behaviors (e.g., poor eating habits, inconsistent helmet use, smoking, problem drinking), while recreational risk-taking propensity was associated with a number of health-enhancing behaviors (e.g., good eating habits, physical activity, never smoking). Results thus point to noteworthy variations in the correlates of risk-taking propensity by risk domain among military personnel.
Highlights
Whether in combat or training, risk is a fundamental part of military service (Killgore, Cotting, Thomas, Cox, McGurk, Vo et al, 2008)
The aim of the present study was to explore the various correlates of risk-taking propensity in different domains among military personnel
While some of the findings converge with results of previous studies (Kelley et al, 2012; Killgore, 2010a, 2010b), others highlight the value of considering the domainspecificity of risk-taking propensity for providing a more nuanced perspective of its correlates, those related to health and risk behaviors
Summary
Whether in combat or training, risk is a fundamental part of military service (Killgore, Cotting, Thomas, Cox, McGurk, Vo et al, 2008). It may come as no surprise that a propensity to take risks has, in some instances, been regarded as a desirable attribute for military personnel (Momen, Taylor, Pietrobon, Gandhi, Markham, Padilla et al, 2010) This very propensity may lead to a greater engagement in unsafe behavior (Killgore, Vo, Castro, & Hoge, 2006) and, possibly, increased risk of injury and harm (RTI International, 2006). It has been suggested that the experiences of military personnel, during combat, might influence their risk-taking behaviors once they return from deployment This has been an area of significant interest to various military organizations (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation [NATO] Research and Technology Organisation [RTO] Task Group 164, 2012), in light of the growing evidence of increased risk behavior (e.g., substance use or risky driving) and rates of injury post-deployment Such findings raise the question of whether individuals with a predisposition towards risk behavior are vulnerable to the effects of deployment
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