Smoking Behavior Change During Compulsory Military Service in Israel, 1987-2011.

Introduction: Smoking in military settings is of major concern. We aimed to assess the association between personal, family, and military factors and smoking behavior change during compulsory military service in Israel.

Methods: Participants were soldiers recruited between 1987 and 2008 who were interviewed at recruitment and reinterviewed at discharge (1987-2011) (total: 29 189; males:15 136; females:14 053).

Neglect of skin wounds and the risk of becoming a Staphylococcus aureus nasal carrier: a cohort study.

Background: Nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus have an increased risk of acquiring skin and soft tissue infections, which could manifest as outbreaks, especially in crowded settings. Current prevention programs are ineffective, antibiotic resistance is rising and risk factors for becoming a carrier are incompletely understood. We aimed to examine whether a behavior, the neglect of skin wounds, is a risk factor for becoming a Staphylococcus aureus carrier during training.

Dynamics of pneumococcal acquisition and carriage in young adults during training in confined settings in Israel.

Background: Outbreaks and sporadic cases of pneumococcal illness occur among young adults in confined settings. Our aim was to characterize pneumococcal acquisition and carriage among healthy young adults in Israel during military training in confined settings.

Methods: During the years 2007-2008, an observational longitudinal study was conducted in three cohorts of healthy soldiers, during a 7-month basic training period.