Populaion-based studies on its correlation of depressive mood with behaviors related to smoking

Abstract

We made a survey of smokers, postsmokers and nonsmokers to elucidate the correlation between depression state and smoking behavior of smokers. Survey items were Zung's SDS (Self-rated Depression Scale) and smoking behavior (the number of smoking cigarette per day, way of smoking, period of smoking, the number of trying to stop smoking, the number of doing so until stopping smoking). In analysis we made a comparison with the strength of the correlation between smoking behavior and the incidence of depression state of smokers and postsmokers by the standard of nonsmokers. The results were as follows. 1. Smokers In males smokers who are smoking more than 40 cigarettes per day have odds ratio significantly more than 1 by comparison with nonsmokers. And those who have tried to stop smoking more than three times have odds ratio significantly more than 1 by comparison with nonsmokers. But the correlations between way of smoking, period of smoking and depression state are not recognized. In females smokers who are smoking for more than 11 years have odds ratio significantly more than 1 by comparison with nonsmokers. The other correlations between depression state and smoking behavior are not recognized. 2. Postsmokers In males postsmokers who were smoking from 20 to 39 cigarettes per day before stopping smoking had odds ratio significantly more than 1 by comparison with nonsmokers, But in both males and females the other correlations between smoking behavior and depression state were not recognized.