Revista Ciência em Extensão (Jun 2011)
Smoking, nutritional status and dietary habits in the adult population of a city in São Paulo state - Brazil
Abstract
With the purpose to estimate smoking prevalence and identify its relationship with schooling, age, BMI, dietary habits and lifestyle, 1,410 adults (544 males and 866 females) were interviewed by telephone and by using a previously tested methodology (SIMTEL). The majority of adults reported to never have smoked; current smokers were 21.8% and former smokers 22.6%. No association was observed between age and smoking. Direct association was found between smoking and sedentariness, excessive use of alcoholic drinks and absence of milk consumption in males. Inverse association with schooling (in males and females) and with frequency (lower) of fruit, and vegetable consumption in females was observed. A tendency to reduction in the frequency of smokers was observed for males and females as schooling and BMI increased. It is noteworthy that the proportion of individuals who reported to perform physical activity three or more times a week was higher among former smokers than among individuals who had never smoked for both males and females. Smokers formed a priority group for multiprofessional actions that include, in addition to the objective of smoking cessation, actions targeted at dietary education and fighting against smoking.
