260117 Association between health-related quality of life measures and smoking status in Puerto Rico

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Heriberto A. Marín, PhD , Institute of Health Services Research of Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, School of Public Health, San Juan, PR
Elba Cecilia Díaz-Toro, DMD, MSD, MPH , School of Dental Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
Introduction. This study estimates the association between smoking status and the quality of life of individuals related to health status in Puerto Rico. Methodology: We used data for Puerto Rico from the BRFSS for the year 2010 to estimate the following measure of the CDC Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) instrument: self reported current general and mental health status, physical and mental unhealthy days, and days with limited activities in the last month. Then logistic and log-linear regressions were estimated to measure the association between these HRQL measures and the smoking status of the individuals controlling for age and sex. Results. Compared to those who have never smoked, former smokers have a 30.3% (95% CI: 8.8%, 56.1%) higher probability of having a fair or poor health status, a 30.7% (95%CI: 9.0%, 56.9%) higher probability of having at least one physical unhealthy day, and a 38.5% (95%CI: 10.6%,73.6%) of having at least one day with limited activities. In the case of current smokers that smoke every day , they have a 76.1% (95%CI: 20.9%, 156.6%) higher probability of frequent mental distress, and 63.1% (95%CI: 19.2%, 124%) higher probability of having at least one mentally unhealthy day compared to those who never smoked. Also, current smokers that smoke every day have 34.3% ( 95%CI:8.9%, 65.7%)more physical unhealthy days than those who never smoked. Conclusions. In 2010, current daily smokers or former smokers in Puerto Rico have a lower quality of life related to health compared to those individuals who have never smoked.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Epidemiology
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Assess the association between the CDC's Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) measures and the smoking status of the individuals.

Keywords: Tobacco, Quality of Life

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I the last five years I have been working together with Dr.Elba Diaz in issues related to tobacco control and research in Puerto Rico.
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.