DEPRESSIVE, NOT ANXIETY, SYMPTOMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT CIGARETTE-SMOKING AMONG UNIVERSITY INTERNAL MEDICAL PATIENTS

To investigate the relationship between symptoms of anxiety and curren t cigarette smoking, the authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of internal medicine outpatients. The participants completed a questionn aire that contained the Sheehan Patient-Rated Anxiety Scale, as well a s several demographic, substance use, and medical questions. Of the 47 1 persons asked to participate, 370 (78.5%) agreed. The current smoker s scored statistically higher on the anxiety scale than the nonsmokers (P = 0.009). For a subset of depressive questions, the smokers scored higher than the nonsmokers (P = 0.005). When subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses, only the depressive symptoms (odds ratio [O R] = 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.34-1.43) and amount of caf feine intake (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.28-2.650) were significantly relat ed to current smoking. The authors conclude that among patients attend ing a university's internal medicine clinic, current depressive sympto ms and amount of caffeine intake were significantly related to current cigarette use. Symptoms of anxiety were not related to current cigare tte smoking.