Tobacco Product Usage Among Deployed Male and Female Military Personnel in Kuwait

Abstract

military training failure 1 ; smoking is associated with significant increased hospitalization and lost work days 2 ; and smoking is a strong marker for other causes of low readiness such as alcohol abuse, low physical activity, and illicit drug abuse. 3 Also, smokers in the military are more likely to sustain injuries, especially musculoskeletal injuries. 4 Among deployed male and female military personnel stationed in Kuwait during Summer to Autumn of 2012, 402 military members (383 Enlisted and 19 Officers) with ages ranging from 19 to 55 years (mean age 32 years) were randomly surveyed regarding their tobacco usage habits (cigarette smoking and chewing tobacco). Those randomly surveyed were Active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve members. The ethnicity of those surveyed were predominantly Caucasian (80%), followed in descending order by African American (9%), Hispanic (5%), Asian (4%), and Pacific Islander/Native American (2%). Of the 402 military members surveyed, 41% (164/402) used tobacco products during the Kuwait deployment. Among the tobacco product users, 87% (142/164) were male and 13% (22/164) were female. The mean age of the tobacco users was 30 years. In contrast, of the 238 nontobacco product users, 73% (173/238) were male and 27% (65/238) were female. The mean age of the nontobacco product users was 34 years. Thus, a higher percentage of males, as opposed to females, used tobacco products. Of the 164 military members using tobacco products, 9% (14/164) did not use tobacco products before the deployment. During the deployment, 21% (35/164) of tobacco users further increased tobacco product usage and 6% (10/164) decreased tobacco usage. Forty-six percent (75/164) of military personnel identified craving/habit as the primary motivating factor for their tobacco usage. Thirty-two percent (53/164) of military personnel blamed anxiety/stress, 16% (26/164) blamed boredom, and 6% (10/164) identified socializing as the primary motivating factor for tobacco use. Fifty-seven percent (94/164) of all tobacco users during deployment wanted to stop tobacco use upon redeployment. Seventy-five percent (40/53) of those members associating their tobacco use with anxiety intended on stopping tobacco use upon redeployment. Based on the above data, tobacco use prevalence for deployed military personnel was approximately two times the U.S. national average, with prevalence of tobacco product usage greater for males than females. Our survey also concluded that during the deployment, a significant number of individual tobacco users further increased the quantity of tobacco consumed. Lastly, among deployed military personnel, craving/habit (addiction) and anxiety/stress are the two main factors influencing tobacco usage, with greater than 50% of tobacco users intending on stopping tobacco use upon return to the United States. The increased use of tobacco during deployment is probably associated with the increased psychological and emotional stresses incurred during deployment. In conclusion, this data demonstrates the magnitude of the tobacco use problem among deployed military personnel. Effective and constructive policies regarding the tobacco use issue in the military are long overdue.