[Comparison of the behavior characteristics of men smokers and nonsmokers]

The authors studied the relationship of smoking with the behavioristic and psychological parameters in men aged 40-59, 3713 inhabitants in Kaunas who participated in the program of multifactorial prevention of ischaemic heart disease. The comparison of groups of men who had never smoked, of those who gave up the habit and the smoking group showed that the smokers had a lower intellectual level and exhibit a negativistic attitude toward medicine and the preventive measures. It is difficult to convince the smokers to come for the health check-ups (p less than 0.0001) as compared to the other groups. Individuals who gave up smoking show themselves to be more cooperative, however their anamnestic data as to health are worse than in the other two groups.