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Screening women in family practice settings: association between depression and smoking cigarettes
M B Tamburrino1, D J Lynch, R W Nagel
1Medical College of Ohio, Department of Psychiatry, Toledo 43699-0008.
Objective:
The purpose of this survey study was to test female family practice outpatients for an association between depression and cigarette smoking.
Methods:
The survey consisted of demographic items including questions on smoking, and an eight-item self-report depression screening instrument. Eighty percent of the women (ages 18-91) approached agreed to participate in this study (N = 695).
Results:
Thirty-two percent scored positive for depression and 28% smoked cigarettes. Cigarette smokers had significantly higher depression scores than did nonsmokers, and heavier smokers (> 10/day) had higher scores than did smokers of 10 or fewer cigarettes/day.
Conclusion:
There appears to be an association between smoking and depression among female family practice patients. This warrants both patient care and research attention.