Inverse relationship between tobacco smoking and both psychotechnic and education levels

The relationship between psychotechnic and education levels and smoking habits was evaluated in a population of 2,430 Belgian male army conscripts who were 18-29 y of age. Smoking habits were quantified by a questionnaire and by urinary cotinine-to-creatinine concentration ratio. The results were analyzed relative to education level (graded 1-4) and to results of psychotechnic tests (scored 1-9). The urinary cotinine-to-creatinine concentration ratio was correlated strongly with the number of cigarettes smoked/d (r = .76, p < .00005). The concentrations averaged 27 +/- 153 ng/mg (mean +/- standard deviation) creatinine in nonsmokers, 69 +/- 186 ng/mg creatinine in exsmokers, and 388 +/- 392 and 867 +/- 833 ng/mg creatinine in subjects who smoked fewer than or more than 10 cigarettes/d, respectively. Significant inverse relationships were observed between the urinary cotinine-to-creatinine concentration ratio and both education (p < .0001) and psychotechnic levels (p < .0001). The inverse relationship between smoking and both the education and psychotechnic levels underlined the importance of adapting smoking prevention programs to the intellectual capacities of the populations targeted.