The relationship between smoking and body weight in a population of young military personnel.

Evidence indicates that middle-aged smokers weigh less than nonsmokers and that smoking cessation reliably produces weight gain, but recent studies have questioned the weight control "benefits" of smoking in younger populations (the time that people typically initiate smoking). The relationship between smoking and body weight was evaluated in all U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training recruits during a 1-year period (n?=?32,144). Those who smoked prior to Basic Military Training (n?=?10,440) were compared to never smokers or experimental smokers. Results indicated that regular-current smoking had no relationship to body weight in women (p? >?.05) and a very small effect in men (p?     

The temporal relationship between emotional distress and cigarette smoking during adolescence and young adulthood.

Empirical evidence regarding the causal nature of the relationship between emotional distress and tobacco use in male and female adolescents provides support for both the distress-to-use and the use-to-distress hypotheses. Using a cross-lagged model with 3 waves of data from 2,961 adolescents followed into young adulthood, the authors tested the hypothesis that this relationship changes over time. As hypothesized, emotional distress in Grade 10 was associated with increased smoking in Grade 12 for both boys and girls. Smoking in Grade 12 was in turn associated with increased emotional distress in young adulthood. The addition of 3 third factors (rebelliousness, deviance, and family problems) to the model did not alter the results. Results suggest that the relationship between tobacco use and emotional distress is a dynamic one in which distress initially leads to use but then becomes exacerbated by it over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics of highly physically active smokers in a population of young adult military recruits

A substantial number of cigarette smokers are thought to engage in regular exercise. It is unclear why individuals who engage in a health-promoting activity such as exercising would simultaneously engage in a health-damaging behavior like smoking. Two possibilities are that (1) exercise serves as a "harm reduction" strategy to lessen the negative effects of smoking, or (2) that among weight conscious individuals, exercise and smoking are both used as weight control strategies. To examine these issues, smoking status, physical activity level, weight concerns, and several additional health behaviors and attitudes were assessed by questionnaire in a population of United States Air Force recruits (n=32,144). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to compare characteristics of highly physically active smokers with both highly physically active never-smokers, and less active smokers. A substantial proportion of smokers reported being highly physically active (15.8%), although this proportion was significantly higher for never-smokers (22.7%). Active smokers were similar to active never-smokers across several health behaviors and attitudes, including diet, seatbelt use, and attitudes toward illegal drugs and condom use. Compared to less active smokers, active smokers consumed more fruits and vegetables, worried less about their weight, were less nicotine dependent, and had greater previous success at quitting smoking. These findings indicate that a substantial proportion of highly physically active young adults are regular cigarette smokers. Based on findings regarding general health behaviors and smoking history, this group may be particularly amenable to smoking cessation efforts.     

The relationship between in-treatment abstinence and post-treatment abstinence in a smoking cessation treatment.

Previous research has indicated that abstinence early in a smoking cessation program is predictive of successful posttreatment abstinence. However, it has not been established whether or not this effect is independent of other in-treatment abstinence patterns. In this paper the relationship between three potentially important aspects of in-treatment smoking abstinence and posttreatment smoking abstinence are examined: early abstinence, extended abstinence, and end-of-treatment abstinence. We examined the relationship between smoking behavior measured each weekday over 70 visits (approximately 14 weeks) of a contingency management smoking cessation program and at a follow-up visit 6 months after study entry (3 months after the scheduled end of treatment). Ninety-five of 102 participants were successfully followed-up. Seven of these 95 participants were confirmed abstinent. Early abstinence, defined as abstinence during the first 10 treatment visits, was significantly and independently related to follow-up abstinence (OR = 56.67 [7.29–440.63]). Extended abstinence and end-of-treatment abstinence were related to follow-up abstinence, but not independent of early abstinence based on multiple regression models. Inclusion of a variety of demographic and environmental characteristics did not significantly alter this relationship. Thus, consistent with the previous literature, the establishment of early abstinence appears to be crucial to establishing longer-term abstinence, independent of other in-treatment abstinence patterns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of d-amphetamine and smoking abstinence on cue-induced cigarette craving.

In this study, the authors investigated the effects of the indirect dopamine agonist d-amphetamine (AMPH) on cue-induced cigarette craving in smokers. Abstinent or nonabstinent cigarette smokers (N=21) rated their cravings for cigarettes and for food (control) after pretreatment with AMPH (15 mg) or placebo and before and after viewing blocks of smoking-related, food-related, and neutral pictures. Before the cues were presented, AMPH increased cigarette craving and decreased food craving. Smoking and food cues increased craving for cigarettes and for food, respectively. AMPH also further increased cigarette craving (and decreased food craving) after cue presentation, but it did so regardless of cue type (food or smoking). Smoking abstinence markedly increased craving regardless of cue presentation or drug condition. These results suggest that both AMPH and smoking abstinence can increase cigarette craving, but they do not appear to specifically affect responses to conditioned smoking-related cues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for change in cigarette smokers, marijuana smokers, and cocaine users.

Modified versions of the Reasons for Quitting (RFQ) Scale designed for use with smokers were included in 2 randomized trials testing treatment programs for marijuana and cocaine users. Three of the 4 motivation dimensions from the Tobacco RFQ were confirmed for marijuana and cocaine. These results provide preliminary support for the application of the motivation framework and RFQ to other substances. Differences in levels and type of motivation for abstaining from various substances suggest that motivational intervention strategies may need to be tailored to the substance. Further work is needed to better understand what constitutes intrinsic and extrinsic motivation across substances. Refinement of legal and other extrinsic motivators for abstaining from illicit substances is also needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selective cardiovascular effects of stress and cigarette smoking in young women.

Used a 2?×?2 (smoke/no smoke?×?stress/no stress) factorial design to evaluate the impact of stress and smoking on the cardiovascular responses of 43 female undergraduates and college staff (mean age 20.7 yrs). The stressor was a video game. Results reveal that the combination of stress and cigarette smoking produced blood pressure and heart rate responses that were larger than the additive effects of smoking and stress taken separately. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of depressive symptoms on smoking abstinence and treatment adherence among smokers with a history of alcohol dependence.

This study examined the effect of depressive symptoms on smoking abstinence and treatment adherence among smokers with a past history of alcohol dependence. Participants (24 women, 27 men) were randomly assigned to behavioral counseling (BC) or behavioral counseling plus cognitive-behavioral mood management training (CBT). The Hamilton -Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD; A Hamilton, 1967) was administered to assess baseline depressive symptoms. Participants who received CBT and had higher HRSD scores were more likely to achieve short-term abstinence from smoking and attend more treatment sessions than those with lower depression scores, whereas for BC participants the effect of HRSD scores was the opposite. Smokers with a history of alcohol dependence reporting high levels of depressive symptoms may benefit from a mood management intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depressive symptoms and readiness to quit smoking among cigarette smokers in outpatient alcohol treatment.

The authors examined whether length of alcohol abstinence and depressive symptoms were related to motivational readiness to consider smoking cessation among patients in alcohol treatment. Participants were adults (N = 253) enrolled in a smoking cessation trial. Controlling for gender, depressive symptoms, and nicotine dependence, hierarchical regression analysis of readiness scores revealed a significant interaction of days since last drink and depressive symptoms. It was found that a greater number of days since last drink was associated with greater readiness, but only among patients with low scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (L. S. Radloff, 1977). The findings suggest that alcoholic smokers with low depressive symptoms are more receptive to quitting smoking after sustained alcohol abstinence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of biochemical validation of self-reported cigarette smoking on treatment success and on misreporting abstinence.

Investigated the measurement of alveolar carbon monoxide (CO) levels to validate self-reported smoking rates at the end of treatment. 127 volunteer smokers, mostly middle-aged, who were in behavioral smoking-cessation clinics were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions that varied in timing of exposure to information regarding CO measurement: (a) at the beginning of treatment (demonstration of CO measurement, discussion of smoking effects on CO levels, and notification that individual CO levels would be measured at the conclusion of the clinic); (b) at the end of treatment (demonstration, discussion, and notification of CO measurement prior to self-reports of smoking levels); or (c) at the end of treatment (demonstration and discussion of CO measurement subsequent to self-reports of smoking levels). Only 16% of self-reports of abstinence were not verified by CO measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of school environment and self-regulation on transitions between stages of cigarette smoking: A multilevel analysis.

In this research, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to address how school context influences the likelihood of transitioning between stages of cigarette smoking as well as modifies the individual level risk factor of self-regulation. Survey data were collected from 25,186 middle and high school students attending 38 public schools in Kentucky. Results show that students are less likely to increase use in schools with higher levels of teacher discipline and faculty involvement. The analyses of the multi-level interactions between self-regulation and school context reveal that students possessing low emotional regulation are more likely to initiate experimental smoking in schools with poor levels of discipline and involvement than similar types of students in schools with higher levels of these characteristics. This study illustrates how psychological risk factors for substance use may vary across social environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of predictors of nicotine abstinence in a smoking cessation treatment study of smokers with a past history of alcohol dependence.

This study investigated predictors for smoking abstinence at 12-week follow-up among 85 smokers with a past history of alcohol dependence enrolled in a smoking cessation trial. Length of alcohol abstinence at time of enrollment and longest previous period of smoking abstinence were significantly associated with smoking status at follow-up. Multiple logistic regression with these variables entered as predictors suggested that longest previous period of smoking abstinence partially mediated the relationship between length of alcohol abstinence at enrollment and smoking status at follow-up. Additional research is warranted to identify predictors of nicotine abstinence and smoking relapse in this population and to understand the factors that mediate the relationship between length of alcohol abstinence at enrollment and smoking outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships between home environment and scholastic behavior in a disadvantaged population.

Examined relationships between home environmental factors and measures of scholastic ability and attainment for 60 8–9 yr olds living in a disadvantaged area. Six measures of home environmental process variables were obtained for each S. Six measures of scholastic behavior were also obtained; these were derived from the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Culture Fair Intelligence Test (Scale 1), Marino Graded Word Reading Scale, Irish Word Recognition Test, and Schonell Mechanical Arithmetic Test (Form B). In a series of multiple regression analyses, each measure of scholastic behavior was regressed on the 6 home measures. Results indicate that home variables were most successful in predicting attainment test scores, somewhat less successful in predicting "culture-dependent" (crystallized) intelligence test scores, and least successful in predicting "culture-fair" (fluid) intelligence test scores. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between body mass and cigarette smoking using a biochemical index of smoking exposure

This study evaluated the relationship between smoking and body mass using objective indices of both smoking exposure (COHb) and body mass. The subjects were 4240 adults who participated in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II). Measurements of dietary intake, physical activity, demographics, body mass index (BMI) and blood carboxy-haemoglobin (COHb) were used in these analyses. After controlling for covariables of body mass, the results indicated that smokers displayed a significantly lower mass compared with non-smokers. Smokers with higher levels of COHb had lower BMIs than smokers at lower COHb levels. White smokers had lower BMIs with increasing COHb exposure whereas black smokers had BMIs at high COHb exposure similar to those of non-smokers. Results indicated that smokers weighed less than non-smokers and that the weight control 'benefits' of smoking were most pronounced in white subjects who were heavy smokers.     

Association between cigarette smoking and lipid peroxidation in a controlled feeding study

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoke may promote atherogenesis by producing oxygen-derived free radicals that damage lipids. However, evidence in support of this hypothesis is inconsistent because most studies did not control for aspects of diet (antioxidants and lipid substrate) that may confound the association between smoking and measures of lipid peroxidation. METHODS AND RESULTS: The relationships between cigarette smoking and two measures of lipid peroxidation, breath ethane (an in vivo assay) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS, an in vitro assay), were examined in 123 adults (11% of whom were smokers) participating in a controlled feeding study. After 3 weeks of controlled feeding on a common diet (36% total fat, 14% saturated fats, 6% polyunsaturated fats, and 12% monounsaturated fats), breath and fasting serum samples were collected for measurement of ethane and TBARS, respectively. Baseline characteristics of smokers and nonsmokers were similar, including several indices related to diet and nutritional status (albumin, cholesterol, body mass index, and oxygen radical-absorbing capacity). Cigarette smokers had significantly higher breath ethane (8.88 versus 1.71 pmol/L; P<.0001) and TBARS (24.0 versus 20.7 micromol/mL; P=.008) than nonsmokers. The interval between breath collection and the time the last cigarette was smoked was significantly and inversely correlated with breath ethane. Neither measure of lipid peroxidation was associated with measures of serum cholesterol or albumin, body mass index, or serum oxygen radical-absorbing capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smokers have higher rates of in vivo and in vitro lipid peroxidation. These results support the hypothesis that the atherogenic effects of smoking are mediated in part by free radical damage to lipids.     

Relationships between aptitudes and vocabulary learning at different stages of practice.

Attempted to replicate a study by D. M. Roberts, F. J. King, and R. P. Kropp (see pa, vol. 45:7370) which, using a learning-how-to-learn methodology, explored relationships between abilities and vocabulary learning at different stages of practice, utilizing 2 instructional methods. 131 10th graders were given a battery of 9 tests (defined either by J. P. Guilford's structure-of-intellect model or the kit of reference tests for cognitive factors) followed by daily vocabulary practice for 3 wk. Achievement and time criteria were used as dependent variables. Results show increasing achievement scores and decreasing times to work through the learning materials across blocks of practice for both instructional methods. Cognitive test correlations decreased across practice while perceptual speed test correlations with criterion performance were low and showed little change. In general, the current data is in agreement with the previous results and offers little support for aptitude * treatment interaction theory. (french summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pros and cons of quitting, self-efficacy, and the stages of change in smoking cessation.

In The Netherlands, 34% of the population smoke, and 70% of these smokers are not planning to quit. The lower percentages in the U.S. population seem to reflect a difference in smoking culture. This study analyzes the pros and cons of quitting and self-efficacy expectation in the 5 stages of change in the Dutch population. The results are compared with the pattern of the pros and cons of smoking and self-efficacy expectations found in U.S. samples. The data show the hypothesized pattern: In the first 2 stages, the expected positive outcomes of quitting discriminated better between the stages than self-efficacy, whereas for later stages, self-efficacy was the better discriminator. This study shows that the stage typology is applicable to the Dutch population and that the pattern of the pros, cons, and self-efficacy is very similar to the pattern found in the U.S. populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concern about weight gain associated with quitting smoking: Prevalence and association with outcome in a sample of young female smokers.

This study investigated the relationship between weight gain concern and outcomes of a large-scale smoking cessation study among 506 young female smokers attending Planned Parenthood clinics. Results of this prospective study did not support the clinical importance of weight gain concerns. Using an index of weight concern that was predictive in previous research, baseline weight concern was unrelated to smoking cessation efforts, whether participants made a quit attempt, reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked, or reported a change in self-efficacy for stopping smoking. Both the overall level of concern expressed in this sample of predominantly White young women and the lack of relationship between weight gain concern and smoking cessation outcomes suggest that weight gain concern may not be a critical factor for cessation programs targeting similar female smokers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-monitoring and reactivity in the modification of cigarette smoking.

The reactive effects of self-monitoring (SM) as a function of varying the specific nature of the target behavior and the perceived negative consequences of the behavior were investigated with 40 20–55 yr old chronic smokers (at least 15 cigarettes/day for 2 yrs). Ss were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions from stratified blocks based on initial smoking rates: (a) SM nicotine plus health hazard information; (b) SM nicotine with no health hazard information; (c) SM cigarettes plus health information; and (d) SM cigarettes with no health information. Ss self-monitored during a 4-wk nondemand phase and during a 4-wk treatment phase or until they quit smoking. The 2 nicotine SM groups showed greater reactivity. There were no differences among groups as a function of exposure to health hazard information. Results are discussed in relation to models of self-control and previous investigations of other parameters of reactive SM. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)