Weight concerns and smoking in a general population: the Inter99 study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Weight concerns are often assumed to influence smoking habits and cessation.
• However, limited research exists on the relationship between weight concerns and smoking in the general population.
• The impact of weight concerns on smoking cessation success remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between weight concerns and smoking status in a general population.
• To determine if weight concerns affect smoking cessation rates in adults.
• To explore the role of weight gain as a factor in smoking relapse.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Inter99 study, a population-based lifestyle intervention in Copenhagen, Denmark (1999-2001).
• Analyzed cross-sectional associations between smoking status and weight concerns using baseline data (N=6784).
• Conducted a longitudinal analysis of smoking cessation at 1-year follow-up (N=1387 smokers, 221 quitters) to assess the impact of weight concerns.

Main Results:

• Daily smokers had a lower body mass index (BMI) and reported significantly less weight concern compared to never smokers.
• Former smokers, particularly normal-weight women, were more likely to be concerned about their weight.
• Weight gain was reported as a reason for relapse by 52% of women and 32% of men; however, weight concerns and eating patterns did not predict 1-year abstinence.

Conclusions:

• Contrary to popular belief, daily smokers in this population exhibited lower BMI and less concern about their weight than non-smokers.
• Weight concerns and eating patterns were not found to be predictors of successful smoking cessation at the 1-year follow-up.
• Weight gain and weight concerns appear to be independent factors influencing smoking behavior.