Prevalence of Adverse Behaviors among Young Military Conscripts in Taiwan

Abstract

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.