Michael C. Chisick

Comparing tobacco use among incoming recruits and military personnel on active duty in the United States.

OBJECTIVE To compare the tobacco use profile of recruits with that of military personnel on active duty to determine whether the military environment in some way induces service members to initiate tobacco use. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional survey of United States armed forces active duty and recruit personnel in 1994–95. SUBJECTS 2711 military recruits and 4603 military personnel on active duty. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Comparative cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use prevalence between recruits and personnel on active duty controlling for age, sex, and race. Impact of demographic factors on the odds of smoking or using smokeless tobacco. RESULTS Increases in tobacco use in American military personnel occurred exclusively in men. The highest tobacco use resided with white men on active duty (43% cigarette smoking; 24% smokeless tobacco use) and represents a doubling of tobacco use seen among white male recruits. Among non-white men, tobacco use increased 2–4 times between recruits and personnel on active duty. CONCLUSIONS Efforts to reduce tobacco use by American military personnel on active duty should focus more on discouraging the initiation of tobacco use.

Factors influencing perceived need for dental care by United States military recruits

Abstract This study explores factors that influence perceived need for dental care among US military recruits. The data were collected on a systematic random sample of 2711 US Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps recruits between February and July 1994. Participants received a comprehensive oral examination from a dentist and answered perceived need queries on self-administered questionnaires. Using bivariate and logistic regression analyses, we examined the association between demographic and clinical measures and perceived need for dental care. Bivariate results show that, overall, 61% of US military recruits perceive a need for dental care, with statistically significant differences across many demographic and clinical factors. Logistic regression results show that the likelihood of perceived need is influenced by gender, branch of service, dental health class, home region of the US, calculus, bleeding gums, level of decay, and dental utilization.

Comparing dental utilization of United States of America military recruits with their employed civilian cohorts

Abstract This study compares the dental utilization of United States of America (USA) military recruits with that of their employed civilian cohorts. Military data were collected between February and June 1994 at one recruit in-processing site per service, using self-administered questionnaires on a prestratified, systematic, random sample of 2369 Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine recruits. Women and blacks were oversampled. Civilian data come from the most recent oral health survey of working adults in the USA. Results show that annual dental utilization rates of military recruits equal or are less than those of their employed civilian cohorts. Overall, 38% of recruits have seen a dentist in the past year, while 30% have not seen a dentist in 3 or more years. Such low consumption of dental care suggests that dental utilization habits prior to service entry do not contribute appreciably to the high dental utilization rates seen among active duty US military personnel.

Continuing education needs of non-specialty-trained Army general dentists.

In this survey, preferences for dental continuing education (C.E.) topics for non-specialty-trained Army general dentists were explored across personal and practice characteristics and were compared with C.E. topics that their supervisors think they need. Among general dentists, preferences for dental C.E. topics were found to vary across level of training, assignment location, experience, and presence of specialists in clinic of assignment. C.E. preferences of general dentists were found to be more narrowly clinically focused than those that their supervisors think they need. All groups ranked Management of Medical Emergencies as the most needed dental C.E. topic. The current inventory of Army dental C.E. courses is meeting the needs expressed by survey respondents with the exception of human relations courses. Topics such as Motivating Co-Workers, Management of Job Stress, and Working with Difficult People, which received high ratings in this survey, should be incorporated into the Army dental C.E. system.

Reaction of Army Families with Grade School Children to the Active Duty Dependents Dental Insurance Plan

In March-May 1988, we collected data on enrollment of 1,445 Army families with grade school children in the Active Duty Dependents Dental Insurance Plan at two Army posts. We also surveyed their reactions to the plan. Results show that, although nearly two-thirds of families are enrolled in the plan, most consider the plan a loss of benefits and coverage inadequate. Queues and limited services at military clinics are primary reasons for joining; poor coverage of the dental insurance plan is the main reason for not. A majority of families are willing to pay more for expanded coverage.