Prevalence of adverse behaviors among young military conscripts in Taiwan

To evaluate cigarette smoking prevalence and to examine the clustering of adverse behaviors among young military conscripts in Taiwan.

Cross-sectional screening was conducted among conscripts in southern and eastern sections of Taiwan from August 1 to December 31, 2001. A total of 7,931 conscripts who had > 1 month of service were included in this multistage sampling study.

Adjusted prevalence rates of cigarette smoking before and during military service were 49.2% and 51.9%, respectively. The prevalence of smoking slightly increased during military service, and this was statistically significant. Adjusted prevalence was highest in the Navy (53.8%) and lowest in the Air Force (48.4%). Less education and longer duration of service were associated with increased prevalence of smoking. Conscripts with high school educations or below and those in service > 18 months had higher adjusted prevalence rates (65.6% and 55.2%, respectively). During military service, the adjusted prevalence rates of smoking among conscripts were similar in different geographic areas. There was significant aggregation of adverse behaviors, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and betel nut chewing, among these young military conscripts in Taiwan.

The prevalence of cigarette smoking was slightly increased during military service. Furthermore, the prevalence of cigarette smoking was still higher among military conscripts, compared with the general population in Taiwan, which suggests that military service is a potential factor associated with cigarette smoking for adolescents and young adults. This finding and the aggregation of adverse behaviors among conscripts indicate that more surveillance and intervention studies are needed to evaluate the best way to control and to stop smoking among military conscripts in Taiwan.