E. Rasky et al., THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY-WEIGHT AND PATTERNS OF SMOKING IN WOMENAND MEN, International journal of epidemiology, 25(6), 1996, pp. 1208-1212
Background. In the scientific literature, studies of the relationship
between cigarette smoking and body weight yield conflicting results. W
eight-lowering effects in women and men have been associated with smok
ing, however, no effects on weight have been proven. The purpose of th
is study was to examine the gender-related association between cigaret
te smoking and relative weight in a rural population in Styria, Austri
a. Methods. A database from a health survey conducted between 1989 and
1993 in 79 selected rural communities of Styria was used for these an
alyses. The sample consisted of 27 344 participants, 16 185 women and
11 159 men, aged greater than or equal to 15 years. We controlled for
possible confounding factors such as age, years of education, alcohol
consumption, regular physical activity, and chronic diseases. Results.
For women and men, in comparison to non- and ex-smokers, smoking is s
ignificantly correlated with lower body mass index (BMI). In contrast,
heavy smoking and smoking cessation ate significantly associated with
higher relative weight. Conclusions. We found significant results con
firming an association between cigarette smoking and lower BMI in wome
n and men, whereas heavy smoking as well as smoking cessation were sig
nificantly correlated with higher relative weight. Health intervention
programmes to quit smoking should take into account the underlying pe
rceived benefits of smoking with regard to weight, especially its gend
er specificity.