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Regular Smokers (regular + smoker)
Selected AbstractsEmpirical support for a multi-dimensional model of sensations experienced by youth during their initial smoking episodesADDICTION, Issue 10 2010Chris G. Richardson ABSTRACT Aims To examine the dimensionality of sensations experienced during initial tobacco smoking. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Thirteen secondary schools located in British Columbia, Canada. Participants Data from 1187 adolescents who responded ,yes' to the question: ,Have you ever tried cigarette smoking, even one or two puffs?'. Measurements Participants answered questions about their demographic characteristics, tobacco smoking history and sensations experienced during their initial smoking episodes. Findings The sensations appear to represent the following three separate but modestly correlated dimensions: a pleasant dimension defined by feeling good and relaxed; an unpleasant dimension defined by coughing, feeling sick and nervous; and a ,buzz' dimension defined by feeling high and dizzy. The three factors made statistically significant contributions to the prediction of transition to regular smoking (defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes in one's life-time) after adjusting for age, sex and age at first puff. Conclusions The results suggest that three relatively distinct physiological systems appear to explain the relationship between initial smoking sensations and probability of becoming a regular smoker. Researchers examining sensations experienced during initial tobacco smoking episodes should consider using a three-dimensional profile of symptoms composed of pleasant, unpleasant and buzz dimensions. [source] The effects of acute exercise on attentional bias towards smoking-related stimuli during temporary abstinence from smokingADDICTION, Issue 11 2009Kate Janse Van Rensburg ABSTRACT Rationale Attentional bias towards smoking-related cues is increased during abstinence and can predict relapse after quitting. Exercise has been found to reduce cigarette cravings and desire to smoke during temporary abstinence and attenuate increased cravings in response to smoking cues. Objective To assess the acute effects of exercise on attentional bias to smoking-related cues during temporary abstinence from smoking. Method In a randomized cross-over design, on separate days regular smokers (n = 20) undertook 15 minutes of exercise (moderate intensity stationary cycling) or passive seating following 15 hours of nicotine abstinence. Attentional bias was measured at baseline and post-treatment. The percentage of dwell time and direction of initial fixation was assessed during the passive viewing of a series of paired smoking and neutral images using an Eyelink II eye-tracking system. Self-reported desire to smoke was recorded at baseline, mid- and post-treatment and post-eye-tracking task. Results There was a significant condition × time interaction for desire to smoke, F(1,18) = 10.67, P = 0.004, eta2 = 0.36, with significantly lower desire to smoke at mid- and post-treatment following the exercise condition. The percentage of dwell time and direction of initial fixations towards smoking images were also reduced significantly following the exercise condition compared with the passive control. Conclusion Findings support previous research that acute exercise reduces desire to smoke. This is the first study to show that exercise appears to also influence the salience and attentional biases towards cigarettes. [source] Parents who quit smoking and their adult children's smoking cessation: a 20-year follow-up studyADDICTION, Issue 6 2009Jonathan B. Bricker ABSTRACT Aims Extending our earlier findings from a longitudinal cohort study, this study examines parents' early and late smoking cessation as predictors of their young adult children's smoking cessation. Design Parents' early smoking cessation status was assessed when their children were aged 8 years; parents' late smoking cessation was assessed when their children were aged 17 years. Young adult children's smoking cessation, of at least 6 months duration, was assessed at age 28 years. Setting Forty Washington State school districts. Participants and measurements Participants were 991 at least weekly smokers at age 17 whose parents were ever regular smokers and who also reported their smoking status at age 28. Questionnaire data were gathered on parents and their children (49% female and 91% Caucasian) in a longitudinal cohort (84% retention). Findings Among children who smoked daily at age 17, parents' quitting early (i.e. by the time their children were aged 8) was associated with a 1.7 times higher odds of these children quitting by age 28 compared to those whose parents did not quit [odds ratio (OR) 1.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23, 2.36]. Results were similar among children who smoked weekly at age 17 (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.41, 2.58). There was a similar, but non-significant, pattern of results among those whose parents quit late. Conclusions Supporting our earlier findings, results suggest that parents' early smoking cessation has a long-term influence on their adult children's smoking cessation. Parents who smoke should be encouraged to quit when their children are young. [source] Association of a single nucleotide polymorphism in neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha 5 (CHRNA5) with smoking status and with ,pleasurable buzz' during early experimentation with smokingADDICTION, Issue 9 2008Richard Sherva ABSTRACT Aims To extend the previously identified association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-5 (CHRNA5) and nicotine dependence to current smoking and initial smoking-experience phenotypes. Design, setting, participants Case,control association study with a community-based sample, comprising 363 Caucasians and 72 African Americans (203 cases, 232 controls). Measurements Cases had smoked , five cigarettes/day for , 5 years and had smoked at their current rate for the past 6 months. Controls had smoked between one and 100 cigarettes in their life-time, but never regularly. Participants also rated, retrospectively, pleasurable and displeasurable sensations experienced when they first smoked. We tested for associations between smoking phenotypes and the top 25 SNPs tested for association with nicotine dependence in a previous study. Findings A non-synonymous coding SNP in CHRNA5, rs16969968, was associated with case status [odds ratio (OR) = 1.5, P = 0.01] and, in Caucasians, with experiencing a pleasurable rush or buzz during the first cigarette (OR = 1.6, P = 0.01); these sensations were associated highly with current smoking (OR = 8.2, P = 0.0001). Conclusions We replicated the observation that the minor allele of rs16969968 affects smoking behavior, and extended these findings to sensitivity to smoking effects upon experimentation. While the ability to test genetic associations was limited by sample size, the polymorphism in the CHRNA5 subunit was shown to be associated significantly with enhanced pleasurable responses to initial cigarettes in regular smokers in an a priori test. The findings suggest that phenotypes related to subjective experiences upon smoking experimentation may mediate the development of nicotine dependence. [source] Does smoking in adolescence affect body mass index, waist or height?ADDICTION, Issue 9 2007Findings from a longitudinal study ABSTRACT Aim To assess the effect of smoking uptake on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and height during adolescence. Design Five-year longitudinal study. Setting Thirty-six schools in South London, England, selected by a stratified random sampling procedure designed to ensure ethnic and socio-economic diversity. Participants A total of 5863 students took part in the HABITS (Health and Behaviour in Teenagers) Study between 1999 and 2003. Measurements Self-reported smoking behaviour, saliva cotinine concentrations and measured weight, waist circumference and height were obtained, along with information on gender, ethnicity, socio-economic deprivation, pubertal status, self-reported exercise and dieting. Students were examined annually from school year 7 (ages 11,12) to year 11 (ages 15,16), with response rates ranging from 74 to 84%. A total of 2665 never smokers at year 7 with complete data for years 7 and 11 were included in the analyses. Findings Adjusting for year 7 BMI and other potential confounders, regular smokers (more than six cigarettes a week) at year 11 had significantly lower BMI (P = 0.002) than other students. Smokers defined by a cotinine above 15 ng/ml also had lower BMI (P < 0.0001). Waist circumferences were lower in regular smokers (P = 0.014) and cotinine-defined smokers (P < 0.011). No consistent association was found between smoking and height. The adjusted difference in weight between regular smokers and other students amounted to 1.8 kg (95% CI, 0.52,3.17) for an average-height student. Conclusion Taking up regular smoking during adolescence may result in a lower BMI, but the effect is small and of uncertain significance. [source] Oral pre-cancer and the associated risk factors among industrial workers in Japan's overseas enterprises in the UKJOURNAL OF ORAL PATHOLOGY & MEDICINE, Issue 5 2003Toru Nagao Abstract Background: ,Screening at industries has been advocated as a method of early detection for cancer. This study describes the prevalence of oral pre-cancerous lesions and other mucosal diseases following oral mucosal screening, and associated risk factors among Japanese industrial workers in the UK. Methods: ,Oral mucosal screening was by invitation at 51 industrial locations in the UK. A self-administered questionnaire was used to record socio-behavioural factors and frequency of daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Results: ,Four hundred and eighty-four subjects attended for oral mucosal screening (mean age 39.9 ± 8.3 years) and their mean period of residence in UK was 5.3 ± 4.5 years. 63.4% examined were male. 31.3% of males and 26.6% of females smoked daily. The gender differences were striking compared with Japan's national rates. A higher proportion of managerial staff was regular heavy (20+ per day) smokers. The intake of more than five portions per day of vegetables and/or fruits during the weekend was significantly higher in females than in males (P = 0.022). One hundred and six subjects (22%) were detected with oral mucosal lesions, including 16 leukoplakia lesions (3.3%) and three with oral lichen planus (1%). The rate of positive detections was higher in managers (7.5%). Odds ratios were estimated by socio-behavioural variables. Among subjects positive for oral leukoplakia, managers accounted for 68.8% (OR 5.26; 95% CI, 1.24,22.29). 87.5% of subjects detected with oral leukoplakia smoked daily and had done so for the past 10 years (OR 28.40; 95% CI, 5.63,143.28). Though regular alcohol drinking was a common feature among male leukoplakia cases, heavy alcohol misuse was not encountered. None reported an intake of five or more portions of fruits or vegetables. Conclusions: ,The Japanese nationals working in managerial positions in the UK and daily regular smokers in the industries visited were found to be at a high risk of oral pre-cancer. Regular dental/oral check up and tobacco education programmes are encouraged for oral cancer/pre-cancer control in industrial settings. [source] P2.21: Characteristics and psychosocial patterns of heavy current regular smokersBIOMETRICAL JOURNAL, Issue S1 2004Jens Baumert No abstract is available for this article. [source] Environmental tobacco smoke exposure as a risk factor for infections in infancyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 7 2009F Ladomenou Abstract Aim:, This prospective observational study investigated the effect of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on frequency and severity of common infantile infections. Methods:, In a representative sample of 926 infants, parental smoking was recorded at months 1 and 9 postpartum, and all infantile infectious episodes were recorded at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postpartum. Results:, Both parents were regular smokers all through the first year in 107 (11.6%), at least one smoked regularly or occasionally in 492 (53.1%), and parents did not smoke at all in 327 (35.3%) families. Among mothers, 168 (18.1%) smoked perinatally. Infantile ETS exposure was associated with increased frequency of total infectious episodes (p = 0.025) and hospitalizations for infection (p = 0.007). In ETS exposed infants, birth in autumn and presence of siblings contributed to increased frequency of most infections and of hospital admissions for infection. By contrast, exclusive breastfeeding protected against the effect of ETS on total infantile infections (OR 0.982, 95% CI 0.965,0.999; p = 0.036), hospital admissions for infection (OR 0.980, 95% CI 0.961,0.999; p = 0.036) and thrush (OR 0.973, 95% CI 0.951,0.996; p = 0.022). Conclusion:, Our findings point to harmful effect of ETS on infantile health and further suggest that this effect may be enhanced or diminished by other factors. ETS should be regarded as a preventable risk factor for infections in infancy. [source] Being old-for-grade and drug use: Not such a clear connectionACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 12 2005Joan-carles Surís Abstract Aim: To assess whether repeating a grade was associated with drug use among adolescents after controlling for personal, family and school-related variables, and whether there were differences between students in mandatory and post-mandatory school. Methods: Data were drawn from the Catalonia Adolescent Health Survey, a cross-sectional study of in-school adolescents aged 14,19 y. The index group included 366 subjects who were repeating a grade at the time the survey was carried out (old-for-grade, OFG). A control group matched by gender, school and being one grade ahead was randomly chosen among all the subjects who had never repeated a grade. All statistically significant variables in the bivariate analysis were included in a multivariate analysis. In a second step, all analyses were repeated for students in mandatory (14,16 y) and post-mandatory (17,19 y) school. Results: After controlling for background variables, subjects in the index group were more likely to perceive that most of their peers were using synthetic drugs and to have ever used them, to have bad grades and a worse relationship with their teachers. OFG students in mandatory school were more likely to have divorced parents, bad grades and have ever used synthetic drugs, whereas they were less likely to be regular drinkers. OFG students in post-mandatory school were more likely to have below average grades, to be regular smokers and to perceive that most of their peers used synthetic drugs. Conclusions: When background variables are taken into consideration, the relationship between repeating a grade and drug use is not so clear. By increasing the familial and academic support of adolescents with academic underachievement, we could reduce their drug consumption. 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