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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Yael Bar-Ze'ev, MD¹, Nadav Davidovitch, MD, MPH, PhD², Ran Balicer, MD, MPH³, Hagai Levine, MD³, Itamar Grotto, MD, MPH⁴, and Salman Zarka, MD, MPH⁵. (1) Army Health Branch, Medical Corps, IDF, 02149, Tel Hashomer, Israel, 972-3-9772625, zahbar@zahav.net.il, (2) Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, 9th floor, New York, NY 10032, (3) Army Health Branch, Medical Corps, IDF, 02149, Tel Hashomer, Israel, (4) Epidemiology Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO BOX 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel, (5) Army Health Branch and Haifa University School of Public Health, Medical Corps, IDF and Haifa University, 02149, Tel Hashomer, Israel

Background: Cigarette smoking is considered to be the most significant preventable risk factor for morbidity and mortality worldwide. We set out to assess smoking trends among Israeli young adults over the past two decades. Methods: The Army Health Branch in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) performs an annual survey on various health habits, including smoking status. This survey is completed by a 5% sample of enlisting soldiers, upon recruitment (age 18) and at discharge from service (age 20 on average for females and 21 for males). Results: In 2004, 32.5% of men and 28.2% of women joining the IDF were smokers. Among young women smoking rate steadily inclined from 17.5% in 1992 to 34.5% in 2001, and has been declining since. In contrast, among men a steady 28% rate since 1989 has risen unexpectedly in 1999 to 33% and hasn't changed since. 78.3% of men smokers initiate smoking prior to recruitment, compared to 92.6% of women smokers. Smoking rates upon discharge and service declined from approximately 60% in the early 80's to a level of 38% in 1998, and slowly increased to 45.5% in 2004. Among women, the incline in smoking percentage was halted and from 1999 is steady at a rate around 38%. Conclusions: Prevalence of smoking among young adults is high, and smoking rates increase during the military service. This problem demands implementing a comprehensive program in order to try and lower smoking initiation and increase cessation. Several such activities currently implemented will be discussed in detail.

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