Population Awareness of Newly Conscripted Soldiers

A survey of population and family planning awareness was con-ducted in 1996 among newly conscripted soldiers serving in the Air Force of the Shenyang Military Area.

Survey of Temporomandibular Disorder in Male Candidates of Conscription Age

[Objectives] To study the temporomandibular disorder(TMD) in male candidates of conscription age. [Methods] The TMD was surveyed in 2 152 young males who participated in 2015, 2016 and 2017 physical examinations for conscription in Qingzhou City, Weifang of Shandong Province. [Results] Cases with previous positive symptoms and with positive clinical signs respectively accounted for 5.02% and 18.91% of the whole respondents. Among the three major symptoms, the occurrence of clicking, accounting for 17.7% of the total case amount, ranked the first; among 407 cases with positive clinical signs, the top two symptoms were simple clicking(50.86%) and clicking with abnormal mandibular movement(36.85%). [Conclusions] TMD occurs in male candidates of conscription age with a relatively high occurrence, but most cases are mild with clicking as the major symptom.

Alanine Transaminase Individual Variation Is a Better Marker than Socio-Cultural Factors for Body Mass Increase in Healthy Males

Overweight and obesity are considered a major burden on public health in developed countries. Underlying etiologies are enigmatic and metabolic causes have been suggested to various extents before. We analyze links of major blood parameters to individual body mass in a young male cohort, controlling for socio-cultural factors, in order to explore an underlying metabolic cause of obesity. Anthropometric (height, weight) physiologic (blood pressure) and metabolic data (total cholesterol, alanine transaminase, creatinine, postprandial glucose, blood cell counts, haemoglobin) of Swiss conscripts (N = 46,684;18 - 20 yrs old;2005-2007 census) were examined in the context of their socio-cultural groupings (occupation, mother tongue, religion) by ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Swiss Armed Forces recruiting is mandatory, thus each year’s group studied reflects more than 80% of a year’s male Swiss citizen birth cohort. Individual body mass index ranged from 19 kg/m2 (5th percentile) to 29 kg/m2 (95th percentile) with a median of 22 kg/m2. BMI increases significantly, even within its normal range (18.5 - 25 kg/m2) with increases in alanine transaminase (r2 = 0.10), total cholesterol (r2 = 0.08) and erythrocyte counts (r2 = 0.02). All other parameters, including socio-cultural categories, explain individually 1% or less of total BMI variation. Glucose values do not correlate with BMI significantly, thus suggesting a specific metabolic co-etiology of individual mass increases. There may occur a biochemical anomaly in liver metabolism that underlies development of the metabolic syndrome later in life. Were it so, pharmacological intervention rather than just diet and exercise regime could be more effective treatment of obesity.

Risk Factors Affecting Condom Use among Royal Thai Army Conscripts in Thailand

The study was conducted to explore factors associated with condom use of young Thai men conscripts. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants were 159 conscripts in second year who served in the Royal Thai Army by lottery method. Demographic data, sexual history including condom use, HIV and STDs and knowledge were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results: Condom use at the last sex was 41.18% of the conscripts aged 20 - 27 years and secondary school education completed of 74.2%. 25.78% had experience with drugs used but injection was rare (6.9%). Age at the first sex was reported lowest at 11 years, 9.4% reported first sex with men and 21.38% were married. The participants have sexual history (last six months) with female only of 83.2%, male only of 4.1% and both of 14.6%. Among these only 12.6% reported every time of condom use and 19.5% never used condom. Older age, higher education, drinking alcohol, drugs use and higher knowledge were associated with condom use with statistical significance. Conclusions: Condom use among male Thai conscripts was low. Education and a condom use program are urgently needed to prevent future spread of HIV and STDs.

Chicken-Footed Gods or Village Protectors： Conscription, Community, and Conflict in Rural Sichuan, 1937-1945

Mobilizing men to serve in the army was one of the fundamental tasks of the Nationalist government during the Anti-Japanese War （1937-45）. Using ground-level conscription cases from counties around Chongqing, this paper examines wartime rural administration. In interior areas, the draft rested on rural administrators, the recently revived baojia system. The baofia heads were in a difficult position： the state demanded full quotas of draftees, while residents tried to leverage bureaucratic discipline by filing accusations against them with higher ups. Their divided loyalties produced both predation and protection. Alongside the familiar stories of predatory extortion and press-gang conscription, baojia leaders also acted in ways that were protective of their neighbours and communities. The patterns of draft-related cases in rural Sichuan revise our picture of baojia leaders as unchecked bullies and thus throw new light on both the KMT＇s war effort and its state-making.