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Background: Despite the association between depression symptoms and cannabis use, it is unknown how military affiliation may modify this relationship. Methods: Patients reported frequency of cannabis use (past 30 days) and answered the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), as well as offered sociodemographic information (n = 484). Data were retrieved from a medical records database linked to a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) program from three clinics in Alabama. With incomplete data for 89% of the sample for education, employment status, and income, we used multiple imputation with chained equations (MICE) to estimate a linear regression model where frequency of cannabis use was regressed on the previously described variables, plus an interaction term for military family status and depression. Results: Frequency of cannabis use was greater among civilians with depression symptoms (M = 7.66 days, SE = 0.60) than individuals from military families with depression symptoms (M = 1.44 days, SE = 1.75). Cannabis use was similar among civilians and military-connected individuals without depression symptoms, respectively (M = 4.01, SE = 0.18 vs. M = 3.85, SE = 0.48). The interaction between term for military family status and depression was statistically significant (b = −5.99, SE = 2.74, p =.03). Conclusion: A personal military connection may be a protective factor against cannabis use for those with depression symptoms. Future research should investigate other substances used for coping with depression symptoms among those military affiliated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the literature on veteran differences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupational outcomes by gender is established and veteran/nonveteran differences in STEM outcomes are well studied, we fill a gap in the literature by examining the following two research questions in this study: (1) are rural veterans less likely than urban veterans to be employed in a STEM occupation and how does race/ethnicity modify this relationship; (2) among veterans in a STEM occupation, does total income vary by rural/urban location and race/ethnicity? We retrieved data on employed military veterans (n = 845,467) aged 18 to 65 years from the 2008–2020 American Community Survey. Results showed that rural-dwelling Black and Hispanic veterans were less likely than Whites to be employed in a STEM field. Among veterans employed in a STEM field, rural-dwelling Hispanics had lower annual incomes than Whites. As such, future STEM education programs should target rural-dwelling veterans of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to identify county-level hotspots and associated risk factors for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the state of Alabama. Methods: Using 2015 to 2019 Alabama Medicaid administrative claims data, Medicaid recipients with OUD were identified. We performed local indicators of spatial association analysis to identify hotspots of OUD rates. Using logistic regression, we examined county-level social determinants of health associated with county OUD hotspots. Results: There was a +14.13% percentage change from 2015 to 2019. The county level local indicators of spatial association analysis found that 5 counties in the northwestern part of Alabama remained "hotspots" throughout the entire study period. Results of the logistic regression model showed that location within the Appalachian region was an independent predictor of high OUD rates (b = 2.58; adjusted odds ratio, 13.27, P = 0.04). Conclusions: The high rates of OUDmay reflect the economic distress and lack of access to resources germane to theAppalachian region inAlabama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]