Cigarette smoking, eating behaviour, blood haematocrit level and body mass index

This study is designed to evaluate the effects of smoking on dietary habits including tea, coffee and alcohol intake; and to also evaluate haematocrit level and body mass index changes in smokers. Cross-sectional type of investigation based on a questionnaire was applied to the healthy subjects and cluster-stratified and random sampling methods were used to select the subjects from five health stations. Male and female groups were evaluated separately. Blood haematocrit levels of smokers were found to be significantly higher than that of non-smokers (p < 0.001) in both sexes. Smokers were found to consume more alcohol, coffee, saturated fat than non-smokers (p < 0.05-p < 0.0001). Smoker women consumed more tea (p < 0.0001) and less red and white meat (p < 0.05) than non-smoker women. Smokers were found to consume fewer green vegetables and fruits than non-smokers in both sexes (p < 0.05-p < 0.0001). Additionally, body mass index was found higher in the 25 or more cigarette smokers a day (p < 0.01) when compared to the non-smokers regardless of sex. These data suggest that high cancer risk and coronary heart diseases associated with smoking may be compounded by somewhat lower intake of foods which are thought to be cancer protective.