Cigarette Use, Smoking Cessation, and Quit Intentions Among Active-Duty Military Personnel in Taiwan

Gender Differences in the Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour on Smoking Cessation Intention in Young Soldiers

Background: The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) explanation of smoking cessation intentions consists of gender differences. The purpose of this study is to adopt the extended TPB to discuss factors influencing the smoking cessation intentions of young adult volunteer soldiers and to further compare the respective factors for both genders. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 139 and 165 male and female volunteer soldiers who smoked, respectively. Research participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that comprised items pertaining to the participants’ demographic characteristics, smoking behaviours, smoking cessation experiences, social environments, and TPB variables. Results: Subjective norms (friends) are a positive key factor for young adult male (β = 0.033, p = 0.012) and female (β = 0.076, p < 0.001) volunteer soldiers’ smoking cessation intentions, and perceived behavioural control is a key factor for male young (β = 0.226, p = 0.040) adult volunteer soldiers’ smoking cessation intention. The extended TPB accounted for 27.9% and 53.2% of the variance in the intention to quit smoking in the male and female volunteer soldiers, respectively. Conclusions: We suggest that smoking cessation strategies can reinforce gender-specific intervention strategies to assist young adult volunteer soldiers in smoking cessation.

The Utility of Social Learning Theory in Explaining Cigarette Use in a Military Setting

Background: A large body of empirical studies has shown that cigarette use has detrimental consequences. Along with its adverse health effects, it is also associated with negative outcomes for social institutions, including the military. Objectives: Utilizing a Social Learning Theory (SLT) framework, this study attempts to explore the associations among cigarette use and elements of social learning in a military setting, including differential association, differential reinforcement, and definitions favorable to smoking. Methods: We draw upon unique data from the Cadet Smoking Survey (CSS) conducted in 2015 at the Turkish Military Academy (n = 378), and utilize binary logistic regression as the analytic strategy. Results: The findings reveal that the smoking habits of fathers and peers, as well as cadets' own definitions that make smoking justifiable, were strong positive predictors of Turkish cadets being cigarette smokers. The links between smoking and parental reaction or peer reinforcement, however, were not robust. Conclusion/Importance: The results of this study partially support the assumptions in SLT and suggest that military units might serve as venues for facilitating learning regarding cigarette use. The implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed below.