The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences Advance Access originally published online on January 30, 2009
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2009 64B(Supplement 1):i119-i130; doi:10.1093/geronb/gbn017
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Assessment of Smoking Behaviors and Alcohol Use in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project
1 Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago, Illinois
2 Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
3 Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, Illinois
4 Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine (Geriatrics), University of Chicago, Illinois
5 Center on Demography and Economics of Aging Core on Biomarkers in Population-Based Health and Aging Research, NORC and University of Chicago, Illinois
Address correspondence to Melinda L. Drum, PhD, Department of Health Studies, The University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 2007, Chicago, IL 60637. Email: mdrum{at}uchicago.edu
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Abstract |
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Objectives: The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) assessed smoking behaviors and alcohol use as factors directly related to physical health, well-being, and social relationships. We describe self-report measures of tobacco and alcohol use, as well as an established biological marker of tobacco exposure, cotinine, collected in Wave 1 of NSHAP.
Methods: We compare smoking behaviors and alcohol use by gender and age group. We report on derived measures of alcohol consumption and tobacco exposure widely used in medical and substance use literature, compare current and past users, and describe associations between self-reported smoking status and cotinine.
Results: Men are more likely than women to report alcohol use, potential problem drinking, and ever smoking. Alcohol use and smoking are lower among older age groups. Although current smoking is less prevalent than in the general U.S. adult population, 50% of current and 29% of past smokers have lifetime exposure of 40 pack-years or more. Cotinine is directly related to number of cigarettes per day but with considerable unexplained variation. Cotinine levels contradict self-report in fewer than 4% of nonsmokers.
Conclusion: NSHAP provides data useful for investigation of smoking and alcohol use and their association with health and social factors.
Key Words: Smoking behavior • Tobacco • Alcoholuse • Cotinine • Older adult
Received August 1, 2008; Accepted October 6, 2008