Smith Elizabeth A, Malone Ruth E
Am J Health Promot. 2014 Nov-Dec;29(2):115-22. doi: 10.4278/Ajhp.121009-QUAL-491. Epub 2013 Dec 20.
To examine perceptions of military personnel about tobacco use.
Secondary analysis of (1) focus group and (2) interview data.
U.S. military.
Total participants (n = 241): Enlisted personnel, supervisors (n = 189 individuals participating in 23 focus groups), tobacco control managers, and policy leaders (n = 52 interview participants).
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Inductive, iterative coding for salient themes using an interpretive approach. Application of the concept of mediatory myths, used by institutions to cover over internal contradictions.
All types of participants endorsed the idea that tobacco was needed in the military for stress relief. Types of stress identified included fitting in, (relationships with coworkers and superiors) and control of workflow (taking breaks). Participants also discussed beliefs about the impact of tobacco on the military mission, and institutional sanction of tobacco use.
Despite tobacco's well-documented negative effects on fitness, the myth that tobacco relieves stress serves several institutional functions in the military. It serves to minimize perceptions of stress on the fitness of personnel, suggests that stress can be managed solely by individuals, and institutionalizes tobacco use. Growing recognition among military leadership that countering stress is essential to fitness offers an opportunity to challenge this myth.
考察军事人员对烟草使用的看法。
对（1）焦点小组和（2）访谈数据进行二次分析。
美国军队。
总参与者（n = 241）：士兵、主管（189人参与23个焦点小组）、烟草控制管理人员和政策领导人（52名访谈参与者）。
不适用。
不适用。
采用解释性方法对突出主题进行归纳性、迭代编码。运用中介性神话概念，机构用此概念掩盖内部矛盾。
所有类型的参与者都认同军队中需要烟草来缓解压力这一观点。所确定的压力类型包括融入集体（与同事和上级的关系）以及工作流程控制（休息）。参与者还讨论了关于烟草对军事任务影响的看法以及对烟草使用的制度性认可。
尽管烟草对健康的负面影响有充分记录，但烟草能缓解压力这一神话在军队中起到了多种制度性功能。它有助于尽量减少对人员健康方面压力的认知，表明压力可仅由个人应对，并使烟草使用制度化。军队领导层越来越认识到应对压力对健康至关重要，这为挑战这一神话提供了契机。
