Smoking behavior of Greek warship personnel

The results from a study undertaken to assess the smoking behavior of Greek warship personnel found that of the 274 participants, ages 19 to 38 years, 59.5% were current smokers who started the habit between the ages of 15 and 21 years. However, 33.1% of these current smokers started smoking after entering the Greek Navy. There were statistically significant associations between the habit of smoking and the occurrences of respiratory tract infections, alcohol consumption, lack of aerobic exercise during leisure time, and educational level of the personnel. Another significant association was between the age of introduction into the habit of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked daily, with the level of education being a contributing factor. The method of entry into the Greek Navy and the rank held made a significant contribution to the time period of initiation into the habit of smoking. The impact of military life on the smoking behavior of the shipboard personnel is discussed and suitable intervention strategies have been recommended.