Abstract
Disease risk among elderly smokers is considered to be doubled due to their smoking habits and age as compared with elderly non-smokers. The investigators conducted risk assessments of smoking for respiratory symptoms among elderly people.
A questionnaire survey on smoking habits and respiratory symptoms was conducted among 3, 000 persons of 56 years of age and over who were randomly selected from suburban residents in a prefecture in Japan in October, 1997. A total 1, 954 or 65.1% of individuals responded, consisting of 42.8% for men and 57.2% for women, with an average age of 73.6 years.
In addition to descriptive analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. The results are summarized as follows:
Smokers accounted for 28.1% of men and 3.6% of women. Among all age-groups, the highest rate of smokers was observed in men of 56-69 years old (34.7%) which was lower than the national average rate for the 60-69 year-old group (56.1% of men and 14.5% of women in ‘97). The odds ratios and 95 percent confidence interval (95%CI) for “having phlegm every day” and “having phlegm for more than 4 days a week” among smokers were 2.06 (95%CI=1.41-3.01) and 2.77(95%CI=1.80-4.27). Significantly higher odds ratios among smokers were also observed for “wheezing” and “shortness of breath when hurrying”.
Odds ratios for some respiratory symptoms including “having phlegm for more than 4 days per week” among inhalers were significantly high compared with non-smokers, whereas those among non-inhalers were not significantly different from 1.0.
Odds ratios for symptoms of phlegm and wheezing were significantly higher (Odds ratio ≥2.0) among heavy smokers (Brinkman Index [B. I.] >900) compared to non-smokers, while odds ratios of the same symptoms were not different from 1.0 among light smokers (B.I. ≤500).
