[Relationship between cigarette smoking and physical complaints]

In order to evaluate the influence of cigarette smoking on health conditions, the authors analyzed results of the THI (Todai Health Index) questionnaire, which was administered to male employees of a large-sized enterprise in Osaka between 1984 and 1990. The smoking rate of male employees decreased over this period of time from 62.4% (1984) to 58.3% (1990) in this enterprise. Complaints regarding "respiratory organ", "digestive organ", "circulatory organ", "irregularity of daily life", "impulsiveness", and "many subjective symptoms" significantly increased with the amount of smoking. Many items of physical complaints in the THI questionnaire were also associated with smoking. These were coughing, sore throat, sputum, nausea when brushing teeth, loss of appetite, stomach pain, stomach problems, diarrhea, heartburn, gum problems, bad breath, heavy eyelids, itchy skin, face looked pale, shortness of breath, palpitation, feeling flushed or feverish, back pain, going to bed late and getting up late, weakness or fatigue, irregular meals, irritation, sensitive or nervous, eating salty or greasy food, and heavy drinker. It is therefore important in the health education of individual smokers to put special emphasis not only on the many diseases associated with smoking but also these physical complaints.