247711 Relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and cigarette smoking in a nationally representative sample

Monday, October 31, 2011

Jeffrey Haibach, MPH , Department of Community Health and Health Behavior; School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Gary A. Giovino, PhD, MS , Department of Community Health and Health Behavior; School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Recent research suggests that smokers who consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day are more likely to quit smoking cigarettes, after adjusting for demographic variables and indicators of health orientation. In this study we assessed the relationship between fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and smoking using an adult population based data set, the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Overall, the smoking prevalence was lower among adults who consumed five or more servings of F&Vs per day (13.1%) than those who consumed less than five servings of F&Vs per day (19.4%). Smokers had a 37% lower odds of consuming five or more servings of F&Vs per day than non-smokers (OR: 0.63, p<.001). The relationship persisted after adjusting for the demographic variables of age, gender, race, and education (AOR: 0.72, p<.001). There was also a statistically significant interaction between all of the analyzed demographic variables and the relationship between F&V consumption and smoking (p<.001) as well as a significantly positive relationship across each of the major strata of education (p<.001). The results suggest a relationship between the major demographic variables and F&V consumption and a potential protective effect of F&V consumption in the relationship between smoking and education. The implications of these findings support the need for further research on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking, most notably in regards to education and common demographic variables.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the relationship between cigarette smoking and fruit and vegetable consumption. Identify several demographic variables which are related to both fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking. Describe the process to analyze BRFSS data with basic weighting procedures to explore the data set as a nationally representative sample.

Keywords: Smoking, Behavioral Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present, because I am currently working as a graduate research assistant under a leading tobacco researcher, Dr. Gary Giovino.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.