Abstract
BACKGROUND: The use of nicotine-containing products (NCPs), including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco, poses a significant threat to the health and medical readiness of U.S. Army Soldiers. NCP use in military populations is associated with cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal injury risk, and poorer physical performance. Approximately 20% of U.S. adults report using NCPs, whereas nearly 35% of Soldiers report using NCPs. While cigarette use has declined among Soldiers over the past decade, e-cigarette use has increased at a significantly faster rate among Soldiers compared to the general population. Given the social nature of e-cigarette use and the cohesive nature of military units, understanding how NCPs usage patterns among military social networks may be useful in developing interventions to reduce NCP use among Soldiers.
PURPOSE: We applied cross-sectional sociocentric social network analysis to two combat-arms Army battalions (Cohort 1[C1]: N=404; Cohort 2[C2]: N=382) to map social ties and patterning of NCP-use. We measured self-reported social interaction networks by asking Soldiers to nominate up to 10 Soldiers with whom they socialized outside of duty hours. The networks were analyzed descriptively and a multivariate logistic regression with quadratic assignment procedure was used to examine dyadic similarity in NCP use controlling for network dependence and sociodemographic variables. Study participants were mostly young (C1:26.6 ± 5.62 years; C2:26.96 ± 6.16 years), male (C1:86.4%; C2:90.3%), and White (C1:72.0%; C2:66.2 %). NCP use was common with nearly 45% (C1) and 40% (C2) of participants self-reporting currently using NCPs.
RESULTS: Soldiers who used NCPs were more likely to report spending free time with other Soldiers who use NCPs (C1: OR=1.279: p<.000; C2: OR=1.224, p=.025) compared to Soldiers who did not endorse using NCPs, even after controlling for covariates. High modularity scores (C1:.767; C2:.776) indicated that Soldiers who do and do not use NCPs formed distinct, cohesive subgroups.
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that Soldiers who use NCPs are more likely to do so with other Soldiers who use NCPs in distinct, cohesive subgroups. Social clustering of NCP use highlights an opportunity for targeted, network interventions to adjunct current, individual-level NCP cessation programs. Future studies should investigate these interventions to mitigate the adverse health effects of NCP use and improve Solder health and medical readiness.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Learning Objectives:
1. Examine the use of sociocentric social network analysis to investigate nicotine-containing product (NCP) use in U.S. Army Soldiers.
2. Understand the association between social clustering and shared NCP use within military units.
3. Discuss implications for targeted, network-based interventions to reduce NCP use and improve Soldier health and readiness.
PURPOSE: We applied cross-sectional sociocentric social network analysis to two combat-arms Army battalions (Cohort 1[C1]: N=404; Cohort 2[C2]: N=382) to map social ties and patterning of NCP-use. We measured self-reported social interaction networks by asking Soldiers to nominate up to 10 Soldiers with whom they socialized outside of duty hours. The networks were analyzed descriptively and a multivariate logistic regression with quadratic assignment procedure was used to examine dyadic similarity in NCP use controlling for network dependence and sociodemographic variables. Study participants were mostly young (C1:26.6 ± 5.62 years; C2:26.96 ± 6.16 years), male (C1:86.4%; C2:90.3%), and White (C1:72.0%; C2:66.2 %). NCP use was common with nearly 45% (C1) and 40% (C2) of participants self-reporting currently using NCPs.
RESULTS: Soldiers who used NCPs were more likely to report spending free time with other Soldiers who use NCPs (C1: OR=1.279: p<.000; C2: OR=1.224, p=.025) compared to Soldiers who did not endorse using NCPs, even after controlling for covariates. High modularity scores (C1:.767; C2:.776) indicated that Soldiers who do and do not use NCPs formed distinct, cohesive subgroups.
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that Soldiers who use NCPs are more likely to do so with other Soldiers who use NCPs in distinct, cohesive subgroups. Social clustering of NCP use highlights an opportunity for targeted, network interventions to adjunct current, individual-level NCP cessation programs. Future studies should investigate these interventions to mitigate the adverse health effects of NCP use and improve Solder health and medical readiness.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Learning Objectives:
1. Examine the use of sociocentric social network analysis to investigate nicotine-containing product (NCP) use in U.S. Army Soldiers.
2. Understand the association between social clustering and shared NCP use within military units.
3. Discuss implications for targeted, network-based interventions to reduce NCP use and improve Soldier health and readiness.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| State | Published - Aug 6 2025 |
