Welcome to the Official Web site of the 2006
DLAP Unit Level Influences Survey
Unit Level Influences Survey Frequently Asked Questions
- Who conducted this research?
- What was the survey about?
- When will the results be available?
- How were study participants selected?
- Were answers kept confidential?
- Who is RTI?
- What happened to the questionnaires?
- How are the data being used?
- Would anyone at my installation see my answers?
- Could people who were not selected to participate take the survey?
1. Who conducted this research?
The research was authorized by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and supported by the Offices of Drug Enforcement Policy and Support. RTI, a nonprofit research organization, conducted the study through an Assistance Agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). All Institutional Review Board and Requests for Information Collection approvals were obtained.Return to the list of questions.
2. What was the survey about?
The survey collected data on individual-, unit-, and installation-level factors. Individual-level factors included self-perceptions of alcohol and tobacco use status (e.g., thinking of oneself as a drinker or heavy drinker or as a smoker), attitudes toward alcohol and tobacco use, expectations of future alcohol and tobacco use, and perceived level of ability to control decisions related to alcohol and tobacco use (i.e., self-efficacy). Unit-level factors included peer alcohol and tobacco use, perceived norms about use, and motivation to comply with normative behavior related to use. Installation-level factors included military policy on alcohol and tobacco use, availability of alcohol and tobacco, and individual or social/environmental stressors.Return to the list of questions.
3. When will the results be available?
Data were collected for the survey from October through February 2007. The analysis were conducted during the fall, and a report was completed in Spring 2007. Copies of the report will be available from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs following release of the results.Return to the list of questions.
4. How were study participants selected?
Participants were selected as part of a stratified random procedure. An RTI statistician first randomly selected 24 U.S. military installations worldwide across all four active Services. Then, at each selected installation, a random sample of units was selected, including officers and enlisted personnel and male and female personnel. Overall, the sample represents active duty personnel.Return to the list of questions.
5. Were answers kept confidential?
The survey was designed so that all answers were anonymous and confidential; that is, participant names and social security numbers were not requested on the questionnaire. The data were analyzed collectively for all respondents and within various subgroups, such as Service, gender, age group, and pay grade group-never for an individual. RTI staff collected the completed questionnaires and mailed them directly to a scanning firm. Only aggregate results were provided to DoD after all questionnaires hade been processed and analyzed.Return to the list of questions.
6. Who is RTI?
RTI International is a private, nonprofit research organization with headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Associated with the University of North Carolina, Duke University, and North Carolina State University, RTI conducts various forms of laboratory and social research for government as well as commercial and industrial clients. DoD contracted with RTI to plan, conduct, and analyze data from the 2006 Unit-Level Influences on Alcohol and Tobacco Use among Military Personnel study. More information About RTI is available.Return to the list of questions.
7. What happened to the questionnaires?
Each questionnaire was confidential and secure. Questionnaires completed in group sessions at installations remained in the custody of the RTI staff, who sealed the cartons of completed questionnaires and shiped them directly to a scanning firm. There, the questionnaires were batched and fed through an optical scanning machine, which read the answers and combined them with all others from the study. The accumulated data were delivered electronically to RTI researchers for analysis. The questionnaires were stored in bulk until the conclusion of the study, when they were destroyed.Return to the list of questions.
8. How are the data being used?
Data collected for the survey enable a comprehensive assessment of factors that influence alcohol and tobacco use among U.S. military personnel. Data are used in scientific publications to better understand the nature, causes, and consequences of substance use and other health-related behaviors in the military and to help evaluate and guide DoD and Service-specific programs and policies.Return to the list of questions.
9. Would anyone at my installation see my answers?
No one at your installation, in your unit or Service, or at DoD ever had access to your questionnaire. Questionnaires were shipped directly to a scanning firm, where they were processed by machine and stored until the conclusion of the study, when they were destroyed.Return to the list of questions.
10. Could people who were not selected to participate take the survey?
Yes, as long as they were in the same unit as the selected participant.Return to the list of questions.
tjm@rti.org
Copyright© 2006, RTI International
Last Update: 09 March 2006