SS 16.00-17.30 Special sessions
TRENDS IN OVERWEIGHT BY SMOKING STATUS 1978-1995 - THE EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL LEVEL
- AUTHORS: M Laaksonen, O Rahkonen*, R Prättälä
- INSTITUTIONS: National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland, University of Helsinki, Finland*
The aim of the study was to examine the effect of education on the association between smoking and overweight in Finland 1978-1995. The data were collected annually by mailed questionnaire within a programme entitled "Monitoring Health Behaviour among the Finnish Adult Population", (N=3400-5100, response rate 75-86%). The measure of overweight was based on self-reported height and weight. Respondents having Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 25 kg /m2 were considered overweight. Three smoking categories (current, ex- and never smokers) were used. Education was measured by years of education. Overweight increased in all smoking categories. In men, ex-smokers were most often overweight irrespective of period or educational level. Among current and never smokers the association of smoking and BMI varied by educational level: current smokers were the leanest in the lowest educational category, never smokers in the highest. Also in women current smokers were least often overweight in the lowest educational category. When education increased the proportion of overweight in other smoking categories fell onto same level as among current smokers. Our results partly support earlier findings. Ex-smokers tend to be overweight more often than current or never smokers. However, the inverse association of smoking and overweight was observed only in lower educational categories.
Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996
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