The association of smoking and the cost of military training (original) (raw)
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Predicting cigarette initiation and reinitiation among active duty United States Air Force recruits
Substance Abuse, 2019
Background-The first year of military service in the United States Air Force (USAF) is a high risk time for tobacco use. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of a tobacco ban during Basic Military Training. However, no studies have examined the effect of increasing the protracted ban for an additional four weeks. Understanding the patterns of initiation and reinitiation following the protracted ban will inform future intervention and policy efforts. Methods-The current study examines patterns of cigarette smoking among a sample of 2,188 USAF personnel at baseline and after their first year of service. Results-One year after BMT, we observed that 65.0% of USAF enlistees who never used cigarettes prior to BMT remained abstinent, 9.6% of individuals who formerly used remained abstinent from cigarettes, 9.3% who never used prior to BMT initiated cigarette smoking, and 16.1% who used prior to BMT reinitiated cigarette smoking. Despite the extended tobacco ban in BMT and Technical Training, 12.6% of individual who never smoked initiated cigarette smoking and 62.6% of individuals who formerly smoked reinitiated. Over half (54.2%) of Airmen who reported smoking cigarettes at follow-up, reported initiating or re-initiating during Technical Training. Conclusions-Our findings indicate that while the increased ban prevents additional individuals who smoked cigarettes prior to joining the Air Force from re-initiating, it has no effect on initiation among individuals who report never using prior to military service. Additional research is needed to understand what may be leading to these high rates of initiation and re-initiation in Technical Training following the ban.
When, How, Where Tobacco Initiation and Relapse Occur During U.S. Air Force Technical Training
Military Medicine, 2020
Introduction Military personnel are at high risk for tobacco use, particularly during the first year of military service. Technical Training follows an 8½ week tobacco ban during basic military training and is a vulnerable time for personnel to both reinitiate and initiate tobacco use. Thus, this can be a crucial time to promote tobacco policies and interventions. However, there is limited research examining when, how, and where personnel access tobacco during the first year of service, particularly among users of newer products (eg, electronic cigarettes[e-cigarettes]). Thus, the purpose of the current study is to explore the timing, source, and location of tobacco use during Technical Training across all types of products. Furthermore, this study will examine differences in demographic characteristics and prior tobacco history in relationship to these tobacco behaviors. Materials and Methods Participants were U.S. Air Force recruits completing Technical Training (2017–2018). Proto...
Relapse to smoking after basic military training in the U.S. Air Force
Military medicine, 2000
This study examined predictors of smoking relapse in the year after the mandatory smoking ban during basic military training (BMT) in the U.S. Air Force. Participants were all smokers who completed BMT from August 1995 to August 1996 and relapsed to smoking in the subsequent year (N = 4,303). Results demonstrated that the vast majority of airmen (69.8%) returned to smoking within 1 month after BMT and that most (90%) were still in training status when they smoked their first cigarette after BMT. Relapsed smokers appeared more motivated to quit smoking at 1-year follow-up compared with when they were in BMT. Individuals making serious quit attempts after BMT were younger and had greater levels of physical activity, more confidence in quitting, and more favorable perceptions of the BMT ban than individuals not attempting to quit. Based on these findings, recommendations are discussed for improving abstinence rates after BMT.
Adverse Effects of Tobacco Use in Deployed Military Units
KVÜÕA toimetised, 2010
Although research reveals that smoking prevalence has in general stabilized or is even decreasing among military personnel, this trend does not ultimately apply. Being young, being deployed, or being a member of Army personnel, for instance, is proven to increase the risk of being or beginning to be a tobacco user. There are not immediate observable links between tobacco habits and the serious health-related consequences found during the service period because of the long time lag between tobacco use and its consequences. Also the impact of smoking on military performance can be defined rather more indirectly than directly. However, findings in the Estonian military sample (n=135) indicate that an increase in smoking behaviour while on deployment not only corresponds with poorer psychological wellbeing and general health, but also with being forced to stay away from duty because of physical aches. These results can be taken as indicators that smoking behaviour decreases fitness for military operations and should be targeted by performance enhancement activities. The role of the military culture of smoking behaviour and the arguments for an effective strategy for tobacco use cessation among military personnel are discussed.
Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2015
Although there is increasing attention to the prevalence of new and emerging tobacco products in the civilian population, remarkably little is known about the current prevalence of these products in a military population. The current investigation was designed to determine the prevalence of tobacco and nicotine containing products (TNCP) and correlates of use across multiple cohorts of trainees undergoing Technical Training in the US Air Force between April 2013 and December 2014. Chi-square test, Cochran-Armitage test for linear trend, and logistic regression models were applied to test differences and linear trends across time for TNCP use as well as correlates of use in a cross-sectional sample of 13,685 Airmen (final analytic sample). Over a quarter (26.9%) of Airmen reported regular use of a TNCP. The two most prevalent products were cigarettes (11.2%) and hookah (10.5%). Among correlates of use, Airmen that regularly use TNCPs were more likely to be male, younger, non-Hispanic...
PLOS ONE, 2021
U.S. military Service members have consistently smoked more than the general population and the prevalence of smoking is even higher among U.S. veterans. Our study examined cigarette smoking patterns among Service members before and after military separation to better understand the disproportionate rate of smoking among veterans. Data from the Millennium Cohort Study were used. All study participants were in the military at baseline and some transitioned from the military to civilian life during the observation period. We investigated any impact of military separation on smoking, as well as other potential risk factors for smoking. Overall, we observed higher smoking prevalence among veterans than Service members. Additionally, we found that Service members smoked more while approaching their separation from the military. Longitudinal analysis revealed military separation was not a risk factor for smoking, as we had hypothesized. Baseline smoking was the most influential predictor ...
Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2014
Smoking cessation is a primary method of reducing excess mortality and morbidity. Unfortunately, the vast majority of cessation attempts end in eventual relapse. Relapse-prevention interventions have shown some success at improving the long-term maintenance of tobacco abstinence among individuals motivated to abstain. However, involuntary tobacco abstinence (e.g., military training, hospitalization, incarceration) presents another opportunity for intervention to prevent relapse. During basic military training (BMT), tobacco use is strictly forbidden in all service branches, but tobacco relapse (and initiation) following BMT is extremely high. This paper reports on the design, intervention development, and baseline characteristics of a randomized controlled trial testing minimal interventions designed to prevent tobacco relapse among United States Air Force (USAF) personnel following BMT. Participants are randomized by squadron to receive either a standard smoking-cessation booklet, a new motivation-based booklet designed specifically for USAF personal, or the latter booklet combined with a brief, face-to-face motivational session. Primary outcomes will be self-reported tobacco use at 12 and 24 month follow-up. Given that the Department of Defense is the world's largest employer, the potential of leveraging involuntary tobacco abstinence during BMT into extended abstinence has substantial public health significance.
The Impact of Unit Membership on Smoking Among Soldiers
Military Medicine, 2016
Cultural, organizational, and dyadic influences have been found to be associated with smoking in the military while group-level influences have been identified in the general population. However, there are few studies examining group-level influences in the military and none using group-level analyses. Such studies are essential for understanding how to optimally forestall or cease smoking. This study, using mixed effects modelling, examined whether unit membership influenced smoking behavior in soldiers from brigade combat teams. Unit membership was assessed in 2008 to 2009 at the company level (n = 2204) and in 2012 at the platoon level (n = 452). Smoking was assessed by the number of daily cigarettes smoked (range: 0-99) with smoking status (nonsmoker vs. smoker) and smoking level (none, smoker, and heavy [20 + cigarettes/day]) as the outcomes. For both samples, unit membership was not significantly associated with a soldier's propensity to smoke when comparing either all smokers to nonsmokers or heavy smokers to smokers. These results suggest typical military unit-level training programs are unlikely to be the most effective mode of intervention for smoking prevention or cessation. Smoking rates in the military may be influenced instead by small group or individual relationships or by overall military culture.
Cigarette smoking and subsequent hospitalization in a cohort of young US Navy female recruits
Nicotine & tobacco …, 2010
Tobacco use is of particular concern to the U.S. Department of Defense because the military historically has had higher prevalence and heavier use rates of tobacco use than civilians (Bray et al., 2003; Conway, 1998; Woodruff, Conway, Edwards, & Elder, 1999). Although smoking in the military decreased dramatically from 1980 to 2005, past 30-day smoking between active duty military men and women remains significantly higher than that among their civilian counterparts (32% vs. 24%, respectively; Bray et al., 2006). Furthermore, military rates of smoking continue to far exceed the Healthy People 2010 objective of 12% (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000). Additional concerns arise when considering high rates of smoking persist even after discharge from military service (Feigelman, 1994; Klevens et al., 1995). The association of smoking with medical outcomes among military personnel has been examined to some degree. Altarac et al. (2000) reported a positive association between cigarette smoking just prior to entering basic training and physical injuries in male and female Army personnel during basic training. Lincoln, Smith, Amoroso, and Bell (2003) reported that smoking was associated with long-term disability following an initial musculoskeletal hospitalization among generally young Army personnel. Few studies have examined smoking as a predictor of hospitalization specifically or followed healthy young women in military service. One of the few was a study of young healthy active duty Army personnel in which cigarette smoking
Deployment and Smokeless Tobacco Use Among Active Duty Service Members in the U.S. Military
Military medicine, 2018
The prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among U.S. active duty service members has been much higher than in the U.S. general population. The association between deployment and smokeless tobacco use has not been well studied. We investigated the association between deployment and smokeless tobacco use among U.S. active duty service members. We also evaluated the modification effects from other factors related to smokeless tobacco use on the deployment-smokeless tobacco use association. Eligible active duty service members stationed at two military installations (Fort Bragg, NC, USA and Lackland Air Force Base, TX, USA) were recruited from July 2015 to May 2016. Each participant completed a self-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between deployment and smokeless tobacco use and estimated odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Stratified analysis was performed to evaluate modification effects from other commonly k...