[Functional and health conditions of elderly smokers]

Research conducted for many years, on smoking harm has revealed a connection between using nicotine and numerous disorders affecting human beings. Nowadays 33% of Poles smoke, 11-25% of the elderly smoke. There are plentiful anti-smoking campaigns aimed at the young and those in their reproductive years. Such campaigns addressed to the elderly are a seldom occurrence. The aim of this work was to analyze the actual functioning and health of smokers aged 65 and more living in various surroundings. The research involved a group of 300 individuals aged more than 65: older people home residents--100 individuals, veteran home residents--100 individuals and the University of the Third Age students--100 individuals. The tool utilized in the course of the research was a questionnaire concerning smoking, diseases affecting the subjects, medication taken and personal information. Assessment of a functional state, physical activity, mental state and health was carried out with the help of General Geriatric Assessment questionnaires. In the researched group, the frequency of smoking was 11.3%, 18.1% among men, 9.2% among women. The average age of the smokers was 70.6 +/- 5.6, the average age of the non-smokers was 75.5 +/- 7.0 .The average number of cigarettes smoked was 11.3 +/- 7.3 a day. The older the subjects of the research, the smaller percentage of the smokers among them as well as the fewer cigarettes smoked. The smokers indicated a substantially higher MMSE result, Tinetti, lower BMI, lower percentage of fat, lower frequency of being affected by cataract or urinary incontinence and a larger number of lung conditions. In the researched groups both in the older people home and veteran home residents, the smokers are younger, better educated, more fit, better nourished, possessing a larger mental capacity and hand strength as compared to the other members of a given community. Among the University of the Third Age students no significant differences between the smokers and non-smokers were observed. The smallest percentage of the smokers is among the University of the Third Age students (9%), the largest among the older people home residents (14%). The most cigarettes are smoked by the University of the Third Age students, the fewest by the older people home and the veteran home residents. Women smokers constitute majority among the University of the Third Age students whereas there are more men smokers among the older people home and the veteran home residents. There is a distinct need of organizing anti-smoking campaigns aimed at the elderly taking into account the area of their functioning.