The validity of self-rated health as a measure of health status among young military personnel: evidence from a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Background Single item questions about self ratings of overall health status are widely used in both military and civilian surveys. Limited information is available to date that examines what relationships exist between self-rated health, health status and health related behaviors among relatively young, healthy individuals. Methods The current study uses the population of active duty United States Air Force recruits (N = 31,108). Participants completed surveys that asked about health behaviors and health states and were rated their health on a continuum from poor to excellent. Results Ratings of health were consistently lower for those who used tobacco (F = 241.7, p < .001), reported binge drinking (F = 69.0, p < .001), reported drinking and driving (F = 19.4, p < .001), reported taking health risks (F = 109.4, p < .001), were depressed (F = 256.1, p < .001) and were overweight (F = 39.5, p < .001). Conclusion Given the consistent relationship between self-rated overall health and factors important to military health and fitness, self-rated health appears to be a valid measure of health status among young military troops.Peer Reviewe

Smoking cessation: A successful behavioral/pharmacologic interface

Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature mortality in this country. Fortunately, there are both behavioral and pharmacological approaches that are effective in long-term smoking cessation. The purpose of this review will be first to highlight the short- and long- term effectiveness of behavioral, pharmacological, and combined approaches to smoking cessation. We will review what is known about the mechanisms of change in both behavioral and pharmacological treatments. Adherence to both approaches will be highlighted and cost-effectiveness issues will be discussed. It will be concluded that despite the relatively high cost per confirmed long-term quit smoker, smoking cessation is an area in which a high degree of cost effectiveness can be demonstrated

Waterpipe smoking among American military recruits

Background.: Waterpipe smoking, a traditional Middle Eastern tobacco use method, has increased dramatically among Arab adolescents and young adults. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that usage is on the rise among young people in the U.S., but epidemiological data are lacking. Methods.: From self-report health surveys collected during 1999-2002, we examined the prevalence and predictors of waterpipe use among U.S. Air Force recruits (n = 20,673; mean age = 20.0 years; range = 17-35). Results.: Waterpipe use was reported by 0.3% (n = 59) of recruits and was unrelated to age, gender, ethnicity, or family income. Compared to non-users, waterpipe users were more likely to plan to smoke cigarettes in the coming year (P value \u3c 0.05) and to believe that switching from cigarettes to other tobacco products reduces smoking-related health risks (P values \u3c 0.002). Multivariate (logistic regression) analyses revealed several factors that distinguished waterpipe users from non-users, including higher education level (odds ratio [OR] = 1.94), having experimented with cigarettes before Basic Military Training (BMT; OR = 1.99), and using cigarettes (OR = 2.17) and other tobacco products (OR = 13.81) at the time of entry into BMT. Compared to recruits who used cigarettes only, waterpipe smokers were more educated (OR = 1.83), more likely to have engaged in experimental (OR = 3.30) or regular (OR = 3.87) use of tobacco products other than cigarettes prior to BMT, and less likely to have been a current (OR = 0.10) or former (OR = 0.11) smoker at the time of entry into BMT. Conclusion.: Despite concerns that waterpipe smoking is increasing among young people in the U.S., use was low among military recruits. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Binge drinking, drinking and driving, and riding with a driver who had been drinking heavily among air national guard and air force reserve personnel

Heavy drinking is associated with significant health problems and increased risk for injury and death. Although several studies have investigated alcohol use among active duty and civilian populations, little is known about the alcohol use patterns of reserve personnel. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of binge drinking, driving after drinking, and riding in a vehicle with a driver who had consumed alcohol among 4,836 guardsmen and reservists who were taking part in basic military training (mean age = 21.3 years; 29.4% female). Forty-six percent reported one or more binge drinking episodes in the month before basic military training. Four percent drove after consuming five or more drinks, while 8.9% rode as a passenger with a driver who had been drinking heavily. Several demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal correlates of risky drinking patterns were identified. Findings have potentially important implications for the health, safety, and military readiness of reserve personnel. Copyright © by Association of Military Surgeons of U.S., 2006

Gambling and health risk-taking behavior in a military sample

This study examined the gambling of a cohort of U.S. Air Force recruits (N = 31,104) and the relationship between their gambling and health-risk behaviors. Participants provided self-report data regarding gambling and health-related behaviors. Results suggest that 10.4% of participants gambled weekly or more often, 6.2% reported gambling problems, and 1.9% acknowledged loss of control over gambling. Men were more likely than women to report weekly gambling and possible problematic gambling. Minorities, compared to Caucasians, were more likely to experience gambling problems and report loss of control. Seven health-risk behaviors were significant predictors of frequent gambling; however, considerably fewer health behaviors were uniquely related to problematic gambling. These results suggest that gambling-related problems within the military warrant further attention. Copyright © by Association of Military Surgeons of U.S., 2008

Prevalence and correlates of lifetime smokeless tobacco use in female military recruits

Although considerable research has been conducted on smokeless tobacco (ST) use in males, much less is known about the characteristics of female ST users. The present study examined the prevalence and correlates of lifetime ST use among female Air Force recruits (N=9,087). Participants were surveyed during Basic Military Training regarding their history of tobacco use and other health risk behaviors. Although the prevalence of current ST use was low (\u3c1%; n=34), 6.6% (n=599) had tried ST. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that lifetime ST use was related to ethnicity, with Native Americans and Whites being most likely to have tried ST. Additional correlates of lifetime ST use included post-high-school education (OR=1.26, 95% CI=1.03-1.55); weekly acts of road rage (OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.06-2.06); frequent arguing (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.18-2.48); daily or near-daily alcohol consumption (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.03-2.82); current cigarette use (OR=3.80, 95% CI=2.42-5.94); and experimental use of cigars (OR=4.01, 95% CI=3.22-5.01), pipes (OR=2.23, 95% CI=1.64-3.03), and clove cigarettes (OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.01-1.49), all of which were associated with an increased likelihood of ST use. Results suggest that female recruits who have ever used ST engage in a variety of risk behaviors including use of other tobacco products and alcohol, as well as additional harmful behaviors. © 2005 Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco

The Effect of Smoking and Light Activity on Metabolism in Men

This experiment examined the metabolic effects of smoking during rest and light activity under naturalistic conditions. Thirty-nine male subjects first completed a submaximal graded exercise treadmill test to standardize activity level. Then 3 groups of subjects-smokers smoking (SS), smokers not smoking (SNS), and nonsmokers (NS)-were exposed to 3 stages of rest or 3 stages of light activity with order of rest or activity randomly determined over 2 different days. Energy expenditure was monitored continuously during these sessions. Significant increases in smokers\u27 energy expenditure were observed during light activity when compared with smokers not smoking and nonsmokers. No differences were identified among groups at rest. These findings strengthen the conclusion that smoking or its components contribute to metabolic changes during typical levels of daily activity and suggest a mechanism for the frequently observed relationship between smoking status and body weight. © 1995 American Psychological Association

Prediction of adult-onset smoking initiation among U.S. Air Force recruits using the Pierce Susceptibility Questionnaire

Background: At one time, it was expected that if an individual reached young adulthood without smoking, his/her risk for initiation was minimal. However, recent data suggest that smoking initiation among young adults may be increasing. One particularly vulnerable population of young adults for smoking initiation is military recruits. This study examined whether a modified version of the Pierce Susceptibility Questionnaire (PSQ) might be useful for identifying military recruits who are vulnerable for the initiation of tobacco use. Methods: Active duty recruits entering the U.S. Air Force over a 1-year period (n=31,107) were assessed upon entry into basic military training (BMT), and a subsample was also assessed at 12 months following training. Results: The modified PSQ predicted initiation of cigarette use for all categories of baseline smokers (never, experimenters, former smokers, and regular users). The likelihood of initiating smoking after BMT was substantially higher among those identified as susceptible than among those identified as not susceptible. Conclusions: It is likely that the PSQ would prove to be a valuable tool in attempts to reduce tobacco use in the military. The predictive abilities of the measure could be used to target intervention and prevention efforts towards those most at risk. © 2005 American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Trial design: Blood pressure control and weight gain prevention in prehypertensive and hypertensive smokers: The treatment and prevention study

Ovaj završni rad bavi se motivacijom i nagrađivanjem zaposlenika u prodaji. Sama prodaja mijenjala se tijekom vremena i imala različita shvaćanja ljudi pa tako i mnoštvo definicija. Jedna od definicija označava prodaju kao međuljudski komunikacijski proces u kojem prodavač otkriva i zadovoljava potrebe kupca s ciljem ostvarenja uzajamnih dugoročnih koristi za obje strane. Kako bi se te koristi za obje strane ostvarile, potrebno je ustanoviti na koji način motivirati i nagraditi zaposlenika u prodaji da bi on uložio maskimalan napor u ostvarivanju toga cilja pomoću adekvatne kompenzacije za rad, odnosno nagrade. Najčešće se kompenzacije smatraju kao nagrade koje za rad u svom poduzeću dobivaju zaposlenici, a one mogu biti izražene u novcu, robi, bonovima, karticama potrošaća te drugim raznim oblicima nematerijalne i materijalne pomoći. Analizirajući dostupne radove kolega s istom ili sličnom tematikom, ustanovilo se kako motivacija i nagrade za rad različito djeluju na zaposlenike u prodaji. Dok neke motiviraju visina plaće i bonusi, druge motivira sigurnost zadržavanja posla i dobri odnosi s nadređenim. Sve navedeno još ovisi o raznim čimbenicima kao što su dob, spol, staž, stručna sprema, osobni doživljaj zaposlenika, sektor poslovanja, razne društvene i gospodarske prilike. Obzirom da se prodaja, kao i tržište, konstantno mijenja, menadžeri u prodaji i njihova poduzeća trebaju težiti pronalasku najefikasnijih rješenja za motivaciju i nagrađivanje zaposlenika, a sve s ciljem ostvarenja što većeg profita poduzeća.The subject of this thesis is motivation and compensation of sales employees. The sales itself underwent numerous changes during the cause of time, it had different understanding of people thus it had numerous definitions as well. One of the definitions refers to sales as an interpersonal communication process sin which the seller detects and meets the needs of the customer in order to achieve mutual long-term benefits for both parties. In order for these benefits to be mutually accomplished it is necessary to establish how to motivate and compensate the sales employee, through adequate work compensation i.e. reward, in order that he or she invests maximal effort in achieving of that goal. Most commonly compensations are considered as rewards that employees receive for their work in the company. The compensation can be in a form of money, goods, vouchers, consumer cards as well as in other forms of intangible and tangible benefits. Analysing available thesis of fellow colleagues with the same or similar topic, it was found that motivation and compensation for work have different effect on sales employees. While some are motivated by salary and bonuses, others are motivated by job security and good relations with their superiors. All afore mentioned also depends on additional factors such as age, gender ,work experience, level of education, personal experience of employees, business sector as well as various social and economic circumstances. Given that sales as well as market changes continuously, sales managers and their companies should strive to find the most effective solutions for motivation and compensation of employees thus aiming to maximise the profit of the company