2018 Department of Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS)
Results for the Reserve Component
ResearchPublished Apr 28, 2021
RAND researchers report key findings from the 2018 Health Related Behaviors Survey of reserve component service members. This report details the survey's methodology, sample demographics, and results in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention, substance use, mental and emotional health, physical health and functional limitations, sexual behavior and health, sexual orientation and health, and deployment experiences and health.
Results for the Reserve Component
ResearchPublished Apr 28, 2021
The Health Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS) is the Department of Defense's (DoD's) flagship survey for understanding the health, health behaviors, and well-being of service members. Originally implemented to assess substance use — illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco — the survey now includes a number of content areas that can potentially impact force readiness, or the ability to meet the demands of military life, including mental and physical health, sexual behavior, and postdeployment problems. In 2016, the Defense Health Agency asked the RAND Corporation to update survey content, administer a revised version of the survey, and analyze data from the resulting 2018 HRBS of reserve component personnel, including those in the Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve. This report details the methodology, sample demographics, and results from that survey in the domains of health promotion and disease prevention, substance use, mental and emotional health, physical health and functional limitations, and sexual behavior and health. Two special sections focus on sexual orientation and health and deployment experiences and health. Differences across subgroups are examined, including service branch, pay grade, gender, race/ethnicity, and age group. The results presented here are intended to supplement data already collected by DoD and inform policy initiatives to help improve the readiness, health, and well-being of the force.
This research was sponsored by the Defense Health Agency and conducted within the Forces and Resources Policy Center of the International Security and Defense Policy Center (NSRD).
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