Objective : Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is periodically conducted to produce national health indicators among Korean people. However, little is known about health indicators among military people. The authors surveyed health related behaviors in the Marine Corps enlisted trainees and tried to figure out health status indicators among them.
Method : The study subjects were the Marine Corps recruits who were enlisted from July, 2008 to March, 2009 for basic military training. We surveyed the trainees with structured questionnaires including health related behaviors. We analyzed the health behavior of the subjects and the relationship between each behavior.
Results : Mean age of total study subjects was 19.6 years old and smokers were 43.6% and drinkers were 98.8%. Mean BMI was 22.6 kg/m2 and Obesity prevalence was 17.1%. Smoking was related with family member’s smoking(P<0.05). According to AUDIT classification “suspicious alcohol abuse or dependency” was 29.4%. Mean AUDIT of non-smoker was 9.2 and was lower than ex-smoker, intermittent smoker and daily smoker(P< 0.05). Difference of BMI according to the smoking status was not statistically significant(P >0.05).
Conclusion : In the Marine Corps recruits, alcohol drinking seems to be a most serious health problem and health education and research for alcohol drinking needs to be done.