CIGARETTE SMOKING AND INJURY DURING U.S. ARMY BASIC TRAINING

Abstract

1260 This study examined the association of cigarette smoking with the occurrence of injury during the 8 weeks of gender-integrated U.S. Army basic combat training. In a questionnaire administered to 166 men and 147 women entering basic training, subjects were asked to report their cigarette usage in the past year. Trainees were not allowed to smoke during training. Data on injuries incurred during basic training were collected from a review of medical records. Injuries were defined as any overuse or traumatic event resulting in one or more days of limited duty. For both men and women, injury incidence increased with the increasing number of cigarettes smoked per day (chi-square for trend, p<0.01 for both), as shown below (numbers are injuries/100 trainees): (Table)TableMale trainees who smoked >20 cigarettes/day were 2.1 times more likely than male nonsmokers to be injured during basic training (p=0.01). Female trainees who smoked >20 cigarettes/day were 2.6 times more likely than female nonsmokers to be injured during basic training (p<0.01). These data suggest that cigarette smoking prior to basic training is a risk factor for injury during basic training. The mechanism of this association may be physiological, such as reduced bone mass or impaired tissue healing, psychological, such as increased risk-taking behavior, or a combination of the two.