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This study evaluated the relationships between stages of change and related health behaviors in a population of smokers forced to quit smoking. Participants were 10,136 Air Force recruits who were in basic military training (BMT) and who were not allowed to smoke because of a ban on smoking during BMT. Participants were surveyed about their smoking history, their motivation and readiness to remain smoke free after BMT and their behavior on 5 target health areas. Results indicated that smoking history best predicted stage of change. Though there were few gender differences, several ethnic differences emerged. These results suggest that, although stages of change involve both a cognitive and behavioral component, removing the behavioral component (smoking) through a smoking ban does not reduce the construct validity of the transtheoretical model.

The article discusses a study to evaluate the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) during working hours among a sample of firefighters. The study was conducted by using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale on the given sample of male career firefighters. The results of the study conducted revealed that firefighters did not show high rates of EDS despite their extended work schedule.

The negative impact of alcohol use on workplace performance is of significant concern to the U.S. military, given the costs associated with recruiting, hiring, and training personnel. However, little is known about the extent of potential alcohol use problems of recruits. We examined the history of alcohol-related problems among recruits entering the Air Force (N=37858). Although the average age of recruits was <21 years, 78% reported consuming alcohol and 49% reported binging before basic military training. Recruits who drank reported having negative alcohol-related outcomes (NAROs). In fact, >95% reported that they or someone else had been injured as a result of their drinking and that a relative, friend, doctor, or other health care worker has been concerned about their drinking. The remaining NAROs were reported by approximately one-quarter of those who drank. However, recruits who reported binge drinking were substantially more likely to report more NAROs, such as morning drinking, inability to stop drinking, having others be concerned about their drinking, having blackouts, fighting, having injured or been injured, feeling guilty about their drinking, and wanting to reduce the amount they drink. Results suggest that alcohol-related problems are common among recruits before basic military training and screening for future problems may be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous investigations suggest an important role of social support in the outcomes of patients treated for ischemic heart disease. The ENRICHD Social Support Instrument (ESSI) is a 7-item self-report survey that assesses social support. Validity and reliability of the ESSI, however, has not been formally tested in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: The ESSI, along with the Short Form-36 (SF-36), was sequentially administered to a cohort of 271 patients undergoing PCI. The test-retest reliability was examined with an intra-class correlation coefficient by comparing scores among 174 patients who completed both instruments 5 and 6 months after their procedure. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha at the time of patients' baseline procedure. The concurrent validity of the ESSI was assessed by comparing scores between depressed (MHI-5 score < 44) vs. non-depressed patients. The correlation between the ESSI and the SF-36 Social Functioning sub-scale, an accepted measure of social functioning, was also examined. Results: Test-retest reliability showed no significant differences in mean scores among ESSI questionnaires administered 1 month apart (27.8+/-1.4 vs 27.8+/-1.5, p = 0.98). The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.94 and Cronbach's alpha was 0.88. Mean ESSI scores were significantly lower among depressed vs. non-depressed patients (24.6+/-1.7 vs 27+/-1.4, p < 0.018) and a positive albeit modest correlation with social functioning was seen (r = 0.19, p = 0.002). Conclusion: The ESSI appears to be a valid and reliable measure of social support in patients undergoing treatment for coronary artery disease. It may prove to be a valuable method of controlling for patient variability in outcomes studies where the outcomes are related to patients' social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. This study examined the characteristics of Air Force recruits willing to take part in a health survey vs those unwilling to participate. Methods. US Air Force recruits undergoing basic military training (n = 32 144) were surveyed regarding demographic and health variables. Results. Respondents indicating an unwillingness to participate in a health survey reported less healthy lifestyles than those willing to participate. Prediction equations modeling the characteristics of those engaging in 4 risky behaviors were nearly identical regardless of whether those refusing to participate were included. Conclusions. Results suggest that, despite some low estimates of health behaviors due to response bias, relationships between most risk factors are generally unaffected by those not responding to health surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]