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Relapse to smoking after basic military training in the U.S. Air Force
C K Haddock1, K K O'Byrne, R C Klesges
1Department of Psychology, University of Missouri Kansas City, and Mid America Heart Institute, St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
Military Medicine
|January 6, 2001
Summary
Most U.S. Air Force recruits (69.8%) resumed smoking within a month after basic military training (BMT). Younger age, higher physical activity, and confidence predicted quit attempts post-training.
Area of Science:
- Military Health
- Addiction Research
- Public Health Interventions
Background:
- Smoking cessation during mandatory training presents a unique challenge.
- Understanding post-training relapse is crucial for long-term smoking abstinence.
- The U.S. Air Force basic military training (BMT) implemented a smoking ban.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify predictors of smoking relapse in the year following BMT.
- To explore factors associated with serious quit attempts after military training.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 4,303 U.S. Air Force smokers who completed BMT between August 1995 and August 1996.
- Follow-up assessment of smoking status and quit attempts in the subsequent year.
Main Results:
- 69.8% of participants relapsed to smoking within one month post-BMT.
- 90% of relapsed airmen smoked their first cigarette while still in training status.
- Younger age, higher physical activity, greater self-efficacy, and positive perceptions of the BMT smoking ban predicted quit attempts.
Conclusions:
- High rates of smoking relapse occur shortly after BMT.
- Targeted interventions focusing on younger recruits, physical activity, and confidence-building may improve abstinence.
- Leveraging positive perceptions of training-related smoking bans can support long-term cessation.
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