Paper
Saturday, 22 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Smoking Cessation Strategies
Understanding the Influence of Culture on Tobacco Use
Jenenne P. Nelson, RN, PhD, CNS, Kathleen LaSala, PhD, Leticia Sandrock, MS, Linda L. Pederson, PhD, Judene Lewis, MS, and June Hasenbein, MS. Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Learning Objective #1: comprehend how a culture influences tobacco use.
Learning Objective #2: identify cultural interventions that may influence tobacco use in a culture.
All forms of tobacco use among military personnel are prevalent and affect both health and physical performance levels. Costs associated with smoking in military personnel are estimated at $952 million per year (Robbins et al., 1997).  Furthermore, tobacco use (i.e., smoking, smokeless) between 1998 and 2002 has increased from 29.9% to 33.8% of the population (Bray et al., 2001), the first increase in over 20 years. The purpose of this study was to understand tobacco use in the Army culture. Culture is defined as a common set of norms that helps its members organize themselves, and it provides individuals with a sense of continuity and community (Nichter, 2003).  To fully understand tobacco use in the Army culture, an ethnographic study was implemented to discover patterns, practices, and experiences of soldiers who use tobacco, quit using tobacco, returned to tobacco use, and abstained from tobacco use. Data were collected from 72 soldiers through formal interviews, participant observations, and informal interviews with members of the culture over one year. Five themes were uncovered that suggested tobacco played an integral role in the Army culture, which included: (1) Health Related Factors Associated with Tobacco Use, (2) The Cycle of Starting, Quitting and Restarting Tobacco Use, (3) Tobacco Use in the Military, (4) Tobacco Use Experiences, and (5) Tobacco Use Regulations and Policies.  Findings suggested that tobacco use is prevalent among soldiers. To address tobacco use in the Army, leaders must modify tobacco regulations. The study findings suggest that culture may support tobacco use.  If a tobacco cessation intervention is to be successful, a cultural intervention may be appropriate.   This research was funded by the TriService Nursing Research Program. Information, content, and conclusions do not necessarily represent the official position, or policy of the US Army, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.       

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