INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOBACCO SMOKING AND BOTH PSYCHOTECHNIC AND EDUCATION LEVELS

The relationship between psychotechnic and education levels and smokin g habits was evaluated in a population of 2 430 Belgian male army cons cripts who were 18-29 y of age. Smoking habits were quantified by a qu estionnaire and by urinary cotinine-to-creatinine concentration ratio. The results were analyzed relative to education level (graded 1-4) an d to results of psychotechnic tests (scored 1-9). The urinary cotinine -to-creatinine concentration ratio was correlated strongly with the nu mber of cigarettes smoked/d (r = .76, p < .00005). The concentrations averaged 27 +/- 153 ng/mg (mean +/- standard deviation) creatinine in nonsmokers, 69 +/- 186 ng/mg creatinine in exsmokers, and 388 +/- 392 and 867 +/- 833 ng/mg creatinine in subjects who smoked fewer than or more than 10 cigarettes/d, respectively. Significant inverse relations hips were observed between the urinary cotinine-to-creatinine concentr ation ratio and both education (p < .0001) and psychotechnic levels (p < .0001). The inverse relationship between smoking and both the educa tion and psychotechnic levels underlined the importance of adapting sm oking prevention programs to the intellectual capacities of the popula tions targeted.