Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background. Alcohol use has historically been higher among UK Armed Forces personnel than in the general population, but much of the evidence was generated during sustained military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Contemporary patterns of alcohol use following substantial changes in the operational context are less well understood. Aims. To assess the prevalence of at-risk drinking and associated demographic and military factors among serving regular UK Armed Forces personnel. Methods. A cross-sectional study used AUDIT-C screening to categorise alcohol consumption as low, increasing, higher risk or potentially dependent. Demographic and military factors associated with at-risk drinking were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Results. Of 613 personnel screened, 229 (37.4%) consented to the full study. Overall, 338 (55.1%) screened at risk (AUDIT-C ≥ 5), including 110 (17.9%) meeting criteria for higher-risk or potentially dependent drinking. Female personnel had lower adjusted odds of at-risk drinking than males (aOR 0.36, 95% CI 0.14–0.93), while single personnel (aOR 3.63, 95% CI 1.18–11.16) and those with previous combat deployment (aOR 2.43, 95% CI 1.01–5.83) had higher odds. Personnel meeting criteria for higher-risk or potentially dependent drinking were less likely to consent to the full study (26.4% versus 39.8%; p = 0.009). Conclusions. At-risk drinking remains common in the contemporary UK Armed Forces, with most alcohol-related risk occurring below thresholds for high risk and potential dependence. Occupational health approaches should address increasing-risk drinking as well as the heaviest consumption. Lower participation among higher-risk drinkers also warrants consideration in future alcohol research.</p>