Differences in dietary intake between smokers and nonsmokers among Lumbee Indian women in North Carolina.

Abstract

Evidence continues to mount regarding the negative health effects of cigarette smoking. Research has also shown that smokers may be at additional health risk by participating in other unhealthy behaviors, such as a sedentary lifestyle and a less healthy diet? ,2 The latter issue is significant because smokers may need higher intakes of certain nutrients, especially antioxidant nutrients, to counteract the negative health effects of smoking? Because tobacco and diet are two factors that contribute greatly to mortality in the U.S., understanding the relationship between diet and smoking is critical to health promotion. In this report, dietary patterns of smokers and nonsmokers are compared among Lumbee Indian women in Robeson County, North Carolina. This report is of interest because of the strong economic and cultural ties to tobacco that the Lumbee people have in this community. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to determine whether the association between smoking and diet reported elsewhere is also present in a group with strong ties to tobacco.