INTRODUCTION: A sizable literature has analyzed the frequency of @entity285 consumption and patterns of drinking among veterans. However, few studies have examined patterns of @entity285 use in veterans of the first Gulf War or factors associated with problem drinking in this population. We examined the frequency and patterns of @entity285 use in male and female veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War or during the same era and the relationships between @entity285 use and selected health conditions. METHODS: We analyzed data from a follow-up survey of health information among population-based samples of 15,000 Gulf War and 15,000 Gulf Era veterans. Data had been collected from 9,970 respondents during 2003 through 2005 via a structured questionnaire or telephone survey. RESULTS: @entity1005 ( @entity1005 ), @entity308 ( @entity308 ), unexplained @entity221 ( @entity221 ), and @entity5815 ( @entity5815 )-like illness were more frequent among veterans with problem drinking than those without problem drinking. Approximately 28% of Gulf War veterans with problem drinking had @entity1005 compared with 13% of Gulf War veterans without problem drinking. In multivariate analysis, problem drinking was positively associated with @entity1005 , @entity308 , unexplained @entity221 , and @entity5815 -like illness after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, branch of service, rank, and Gulf status. Veterans who were problem drinkers were 2.7 times as likely to have @entity1005 as veterans who were not problem drinkers. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that access to evidence-based treatment programs and systems of care should be provided for veterans who abuse @entity285 and who have @entity1005 and other war-related health conditions and illnesses.

XXXX use and selected health conditions of 1991 Gulf War veterans: survey results, 2003-2005.

@entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['MDD', 'major depressive disorder'] @entity1005 :: ('MESH:D013313', 'Disease') :: ['Posttraumatic stress disorder', 'PTSD'] @entity5815 :: ('MESH:D015673', 'Disease') :: ['chronic fatigue syndrome', 'CFS'] @entity285 :: ('D000431', 'Chemical') :: ['alcohol'] @entity221 :: ('MESH:D005334', 'Disease') :: ['multisymptom illness', 'MSI']
@entity285 :: (D000431,Chemical) :: ['Alcohol']
