Fruit & vegetable consumption and cigarette smoking: Pre- and post-cessation relationships

Cross-sectional studies consistently indicate that current cigarette smokers consume more servings of energy-dense foods and fewer servings of nutrient-dense foods than never or former smokers. To better understand the nature of the relationship, we conducted a cohort study to determine if fruit and vegetable consumption 1) was associated with indicators of nicotine dependence and 2) predicted cessation among 761 current smokers in the United States. Data were taken from a 2004 national RDD telephone survey of 1,000 cigarette smokers > 24 years old (48% response rate); 761 of these were recontacted 14 months later. At baseline, we assessed the number of cigarettes smoked/day (CPD), time to first cigarette (TTFC), a shortened version of the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS), fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption, demographics, and other tobacco-related and psychosocial factors. People who were abstinent from tobacco for at least 30 days at follow-up were classified as quitters. Increasing consumption of F&V was associated with smoking fewer CPD, longer TTFC, and lower average NDSS score. At follow-up, 11.2% of baseline smokers were abstinent from tobacco for at least 30 days. In multivariate analyses, respondents in the highest quartile of baseline F&V consumption (> 29.5 servings/week) were the most likely to be abstinent at follow-up. Among quitters, F&V consumption was lower at follow-up than at baseline. Possible explanations (e.g., differences in health orientation, increased satiety, and alternative reinforcement) will be discussed. Future research will examine whether additional dietary factors are related to smoking cessation.