Dietary habits among snus users: a population-based cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Disease Research
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Tobacco Use Studies

Background:

• Dietary habits of snus users remain largely unexamined in health studies.
• Understanding snus users' diets is crucial for accurate health effect assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if snus users exhibit unhealthier dietary patterns than individuals who have never used tobacco.
• To identify specific dietary differences between snus users and non-tobacco users.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of dietary habits and snus use in 3,397 male participants from the Northern Sweden MONICA study (1994-2014).
• Self-reported dietary data collected via questionnaires, assessing food groups, macronutrients, and a Healthy Diet Score (HDS).
• Quantile regression models used to examine associations between snus use and dietary habits.

Main Results:

• Snus users had a significantly lower Healthy Diet Score (HDS) compared to never tobacco users.
• Snus users consumed fewer servings of fruits and berries weekly.
• Snus users' diets were higher in total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, trans fat, and alcohol, with lower carbohydrate intake.

Conclusions:

• Snus users demonstrate a demonstrably unhealthier diet compared to never tobacco users.
• Dietary factors should be considered as potential confounders in future research on snus use and health outcomes.