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Prevalence of Use, Impact on Oral Health, and Knowledge Regarding Tobacco Smoking: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Military Marines

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Preprints.org
DOI
10.20944/preprints202604.0535.v1

Background: Despite its negative impact on systemic and oral health, tobacco smoking in the military remains a long-standing problem. It contributes to the high prevalence of tobacco smoking worldwide, while it serves as a stress-reliever in military life. Purpose: This survey aimed to identify the tobacco use, impact on oral health, and knowledge among Marines military personnel. Materials and methods: An online survey verified for validity and reliability, was employed to collect socio-demographic information of Marine smokers by age, education level, and length of military service, as well as their smoking behaviors, impact on oral health, and knowledge. Data were presented descriptively, and the associated factors were analyzed using multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 475 naval marine unit personnel completed the study, with 44.8% reported being current smokers, 25.7% former smokers, and 29.5% never smokers. Seventy-one percent of the participants had a good knowledge of smoking. The most commonly reported impacts on oral health are bad breath, tooth staining, and taste impairment. Smoking habits were not significantly different according to age (p = 0.095 > 0.05), nor by education level (p = 0.610 > 0.05), but were significantly different by length of service (p = 0.00 < 0.05) and level of knowledge (p = 0.00 < 0.05). The results of multivariate analysis utilizing multinomial logistic regression based on p-value (p = 0.005 < 0.05) and 95% CI (0.282-0.8) demonstrated that the 1-5 years length of service is the most significant factor influencing smoking habits. According to OR (odds ratio) values, smoking habits increase the risk by 1.8 times among those with 11-15 years of military service. Conclusion: Despite a good level of knowledge of smoking-related health risks, the present study indicates a high prevalence of tobacco smoking. The most common impacts on oral health among smokers include stained teeth, bad breath, and taste impairment. It was also found that the length of military service and knowledge significantly influence smoking behavior.

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