Smoking Behavior Of Women Research Articles

Sex differences in the influence of nicotine dose instructions on the reinforcing and self-reported rewarding effects of smoking

Compared to men, the smoking behavior of women may be less responsive to nicotine and more responsive to nonpharmacological factors, perhaps including verbal information (e.g., dose instructions). This study compared the influence of the presence vs absence of dose instructions on the subjective and reinforcing effects of nicotine via cigarette smoking in men and women. Subjects (n=120) abstained overnight from smoking and were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Half of the subjects received nicotine cigarettes (Quest 1, yield of 0.6 mg), and the other half received denicotinized cigarettes ("denic"; Quest 3, yield of 0.05 mg). Furthermore, half of each subsample was accurately instructed they were receiving a "normal nicotine" or a "no nicotine" cigarette, while the other half received no instructions. Subjects completed baseline measures of craving and mood (positive and negative affect), took two puffs from the cigarette after receiving dose instructions or no instructions, and then rated the cigarette's "reward" value (liking, satisfying) and other characteristics. They also repeated the craving and mood measures. Subjects then smoked more of that same brand ad libitum over the next 30 min to measure reinforcement (puff number and latency to first puff). Overall, nicotine increased reward, other cigarette ratings, and positive affect, but did not affect craving or smoking behavior. However, results varied by sex. Dose instructions enhanced the effects of nicotine on smoking reward and reinforcement in women, while instructions tended to dampen or even reverse these effects of nicotine in men (i.e., interaction of sex x nicotine x instructions). In women but not in men, the influence of nicotine on smoking reward and reinforcement is enhanced by accurate verbal information about the cigarette's nicotine dose. These results are consistent with the notion that the smoking behavior of women, relative to men, may be more responsive to nonpharmacological factors.

Rauchen vor, während und nach der Geburt: längsschnittliche Daten einer Bevölkerungsstichprobe

Studies about the smoking behaviour of women before, during and after pregnancy in Germany are out of date and have methodological shortcomings. This rapid communication describes smoking behaviour of n = 2702 women before, during and up to 12 months after pregnancy. The sample was a population-based sample assessed on maternity wards. Results indicate that 41.7% of women smoke before pregnancy, 25.5% at the time of birth, 33.5% 6 months later and 34.6% 12 months later. Of women who smoked before pregnancy, 60.0% indicated that they quit during pregnancy, 81.8% of them during the first trimester. The study underlines the need for action to reduce smoking during and after pregnancy in Germany. Further analyses should examine moderating factors for smoking behaviour during pregnancy and post partum.

Association of catechol-O-methyltransferase with smoking cessation in two independent studies of women

The Val108/158Met polymorphism in the gene that encodes COMT, a dopamine metabolizing enzyme, results in a three- to four-fold reduction in COMT activity. To determine if the lower activity Met allele of COMT was associated with smoking cessation in women, we used two independent studies: a population-based case--control study and a nicotine replacement clinical trial. In the case--control study, women with two Met alleles were significantly more likely to be ex-smokers than current smokers [OR=1.82, 95% CI (1.05, 3.17), P=0.03]. In the nicotine replacement clinical trial, among women, the Met/Met genotype was associated with a higher probability of smoking cessation based on both point prevalence and prolonged abstinence outcomes [OR=2.96, 95% CI (1.07, 8.14), P=0.04; OR=3.23, 95% CI (1.13, 9.20), P=0.03, respectively]. This first report of a significant association between COMT Val108/158Met and smoking cessation suggests that COMT variation has an effect on smoking behavior in women.

Impact of reproductive experience on women's smoking behaviour in Japanese nurses

The objectives of this study were to describe current and past smoking behaviour of female Japanese nurses, to examine factors associated with developing and stopping a smoking habit, and to examine how their reproductive experiences affect their smoking behaviour. A cross-sectional study. This study was a baseline survey of a prospective occupational cohort study. A self-administered survey of 1748 female Japanese nurses aged over 20 years was conducted in Gunma prefecture, Japan, in 1999. Overall, 27.2% developed a smoking habit (current smokers, 19.8%; ex-smokers, 7.4%) and 72.2% were never smokers. Logistic regression analysis showed that the type of nursing certificate was statistically associated with developing a smoking habit. It also showed that the type of nursing certificate, work place, marital status and current pregnancy were statistically associated with smoking cessation. Currently pregnant women were more likely to stop smoking than non-pregnant women (adjusted odds ratio, 3.18; 95% confidence intervals, 1.25-8.06). For women aged 20-29 years, the proportions of current smokers, ex-smokers and never smokers among pregnant women were 11.5, 23.1 and 65.4%, respectively; among non-pregnant women of this age, the values were 22.3, 4.3 and 73.4%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in such proportions between the two groups (chi2=19.27; P<0.0001). More than half of the ex-smokers who were currently pregnant had stopped smoking in the last 12 months. Smoking behaviour showed no statistically significant difference between women who had had at least one delivery and women who had not. The results suggest that pregnancy provides a good opportunity for smoking cessation, but a large proportion of women who successfully quit smoking during pregnancy relapse after delivery.

Do changes in mood and concerns about weight relate to smoking relapse in the postpartum period?

The majority of women who quit smoking during pregnancy will resume smoking during the postpartum period. Little is known, however, about the predictors of postpartum relapses to smoking. Changes in mood and increases in concerns about weight are common during the postpartum period, and these factors may affect women's postpartum smoking behavior. In this paper, we present a model of the relationship among mood, weight concerns and postpartum smoking. Data from previous postpartum relapse prevention trials are reviewed and evidence of a connection between changes in mood and weight concerns to postpartum relapse is presented. Directions for future research on the prevention of smoking relapses during the postpartum period, and the roles of mood and weight concerns in smoking relapse are presented.

Smoking behavior and its determinants among women in Concordia, Argentina.

This study assessed smoking, sexual, and reproductive behaviors as determinants of smoking behavior in women from Concordia, Province of Entre Ríos, Argentina, a population with a low incidence of lung cancer and a high incidence of cervical cancer. Interviewers administered structured, close-ended questionnaires to 1,028 women, aged at least 15 years, living in a random sample of households. We calculated the prevalence of smoking-related variables by age group and used a multivariate logistic regression model to identify various behavioral determinants of smoking. Overall, 36% of the women reported having ever smoked, and 23% were current smokers. At least 50% of the women who ever smoked in each age group smoked less than 10 cigarettes per day. The main determinants of ever having smoked were single marital status (OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.01-2.66) and reporting two or more lifetime sexual partners (two or three: OR=2.25, 95% CI=1.63-3.07; four: OR=3.54, 95% CI=2.10-5.08). No association with socioeconomic level, reproductive characteristics, or variables related to health behavior was observed. We conclude that the prevalence of smoking was high, particularly among women aged 35-54 years, and was strongly associated with sexual behavior. Although women seem to be starting to smoke at younger ages compared with women in the past, the younger cohorts do not seem to be taking up the practice to the same extent as the older cohorts. Antismoking interventions and appropriate control measures are still necessary.

Tabac et grossesse: Étude de l’Assurance maladie des professions indépendantes en Ile-de-France

In order to further improve its prevention program entitled "Maternity childhood follow-up", the Paris region health insurance program for independent workers carried out a survey among female participants. The survey was designed to assess women's smoking behavior and evaluate reception of information concerning smoking-related risks and support available to stop smoking. The women's suggestions were also collected. A questionnaire was sent by the physicians in charge of the Ile de France region to the 3525 women who had reported a pregnancy. 1099 answers were received (31%) The mean age of responders was 34.3 4.7 years. Their educational level was high (76% had a university degree). Before pregnancy, 37% were smokers. At the first trimester of pregnancy, 17% were smokers, 15% at the second trimester and 14% at the third trimester. Two years after childbirth, 20.5% were smokers. The proportion of women who stopped smoking was higher for those with a low Fagerström score. 29% of women said they did not receive any information about the harmful consequences of smoking. To cease smoking during pregnancy, 70% are helped by family and friends, 20% by health professionals; 3.5% took nicotine substitutes. This survey emphasises the need for improving information to pregnant women for alerting them to the dangers of smoking and for training the relevant health professionals.

Gender and the social context of smoking behaviour

This paper examines the relative effect of both individual and societal factors that impinge directly on smoking behaviour of women and men. The societal factors are cigarettes price, tobacco control legislation, newspaper coverage of tobacco issues, overall economic factors, and social milieu characteristics. Three Canadian provinces are studied, from 1978 to 1995. A repeated cross-section design is used. Data are derived from national surveys and official documents. Results show that smoking occurs in social contexts within which the price of cigarettes appears to have a significant negative impact on the prevalence of smoking and the quantity of cigarettes smoked by men, but no effect on either the prevalence of smoking or the amount smoked by women. More comprehensive and restrictive no-smoking legislation and legislation on youth access to tobacco influence negatively the prevalence of smoking both for men and women. However, these laws do not have the same effects on the number of cigarettes smoked by women and men. Newspaper articles on the other hand, negatively influence smoking prevalence for women and men. As differences are observed in the responsiveness of men and women to tobacco control policies, policymakers and practitioners need to keep in mind that tobacco control policies have to be tailored to the broader context of the lives of women and men. Future work needs also to be done to clarify the interrelationships between social influences on smoking such as price, laws and media, and the relationships between these and intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, as well as other social and cultural factors.

Who Goes to School? Educational Stratification by Gender, Caste, and Ethnicity in Nepal

Cette etude examine deux problemes majeurs : d'abord les effets positifs de l'expansion et la democratisation de l'enseignement au Nepal sur les ecarts de niveau d'education subsistant entre les sexes et les classes sociales. L'article montre ensuite que l'origine sociale et les differences de genre affectent le progres et l'acces a l'education de base pour les enfants d'âge scolaire. En introduction, les auteurs reprennent historiquement l'evolution du systeme educatif au Nepal avant d'expliquer les questions de hierarchisation et de stratification de la societe nepalaise...

Progesterone treatment during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: Effects on smoking behavior in women

The goals of this study were (1) to examine the feasibility of administering progesterone to women during the early follicular phase when the endogenous estradiol and progesterone levels are low, and (2) to investigate the effects of oral progesterone treatment on smoking behavior in female smokers. Twelve subjects had two experimental sessions, within 3–9 days after the beginning of their menses. In each experimental session, subjects received a single 200-mg dose of progesterone or placebo, orally. Two and a half hours after the medication treatment, subjects were assessed for subjective response to two puffs of a cigarette and then started the self-administration period in which they had the option to exchange their token for two puffs of cigarette, 15 min apart. Subjects had low levels of estradiol and progesterone before the first and second sessions. Plasma progesterone levels peaked in 2 h following progesterone treatment. Progesterone treatment attenuated the craving for and subjective effects from smoking. Under progesterone treatment, there was a trend for decreased smoking behavior. These preliminary results suggest that the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle may be a useful interval to investigate the effects of exogenous progesterone in female smokers. The effects of progesterone on nicotine dependence need to be studied further.

Smoking cessation in women. Special considerations.

Women may be at relatively greater risk of smoking-related diseases than men but tend to have less success than men in quitting smoking. The failure of most outcome studies to report results by gender and the lack of statistical power for detecting significant gender differences currently do not allow for many firm conclusions to be drawn about smoking cessation rates in women, but several trends warrant attention and further study. First, the difference in cessation rates for women versus men may be even greater in trials of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT). This suggests that women benefit less from NRT relative to men, although this difference may depend on the particular form of NRT (e.g. inhaler versus gum). On the other hand, some non-NRT medications may reverse the poorer outcome of women, producing quit rates in women comparable with those in men. Gender differences in outcome, as well as overall success rates, with NRT and some of the non-NRT medications appear to be enhanced when treatment includes substantial behavioural counselling. However, while several of the non-NRT medications may be particularly appropriate to consider for treating women trying to quit smoking, adverse effects may limit widespread use of some of these drugs, such as clonidine and naltrexone. Thus, even if the gender differences in outcome with NRT versus non-NRT drugs are confirmed in further research, such findings do not necessarily justify limiting NRT use in women, because such treatment is clearly effective and is likely to be safer and more readily available than non-NRT medications. Nevertheless, study of the mechanisms by which some non-NRT drugs are effective in women may aid our understanding of factors that are more influential in smoking behaviour in women than in men. Secondly, smoking cessation treatment for women must address several other issues that often emerge, and these are most likely to require behavioural counselling that is tailored to these problems. These issues include concern about bodyweight gain, restrictions on medication use in pregnant smokers, variability in mood and withdrawal as a function of menstrual cycle phase, harnessing social support to foster abstinence, and the possibility that smoking-associated environmental cues may be more influential in smoking behaviour in women than men. Greater attention to gender differences in clinical trial outcomes and to addressing concerns of women smokers may aid in the development of substantially improved smoking cessation interventions for women.

Helping women quit smoking: results of a community intervention program.

This intervention was implemented to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking among women. We used community organization approaches to create coalitions and task forces to develop and implement a multicomponent intervention in 2 counties in Vermont and New Hampshire, with a special focus on providing support to help women quit smoking. Evaluation was by pre-intervention and post-intervention random-digit-dialed telephone surveys in the intervention counties and the 2 matched comparison counties. In the intervention counties, compared with the comparison counties, the odds of a woman being a smoker after 4 years of program activities were 0.88 (95% confidence interval = 0.78, 1.00) (P = .02, 1-tailed); women smokers' perceptions of community norms about women smoking were significantly more negative (P = .002, 1-tailed); and the quit rate in the past 5 years was significantly greater (25.4% vs 21.4%; P = .02, 1-tailed). Quit rates were significantly higher in the intervention counties among younger women (aged 18 to 44 years); among women with household annual incomes of $25,000 or less; and among heavier smokers (those who smoked 25 or more cigarettes daily). In these rural counties, community participation in planning and implementing interventions was accompanied by favorable changes in women's smoking behavior.

Sex differences in nicotine effects and self-administration: review of human and animal evidence.

Although both the human and animal literatures are notable for the general lack of attention paid to possible sex differences in drug self-administration behavior, evidence is accumulating to suggest that males and females may differ in factors that maintain tobacco smoking or nicotine self-administration. Self-administration of nicotine per se may be less robust in women, and women are less sensitive than men to some effects of nicotine that may be reinforcing. Compared to men, smoking behavior of women may be influenced more by non-nicotine stimuli associated with smoking, suggesting greater conditioned reinforcement of smoking in women. Moreover, nicotine replacement, the current standard treatment for smoking cessation, is sometimes less effective in women, further suggesting the need for greater consideration of non-nicotine factors that may maintain women's smoking. Very recent research on rats also indicates sex differences in nicotine self-administration. However, these differences are complex and suggest that nicotine-seeking behavior is composed of several components, including hedonic, incentive-motivational, and conditioning effects; males and females may differ in one or more of these components. Menstrual or estrous cycle phase effects on the maintenance of nicotine self-administration are not particularly apparent in humans or animals, although cycle phase may influence other stages of dependence (e.g., withdrawal symptoms during cessation). Future research should evaluate further the consistency of results across human and non-human species, identify the conditions and procedures under which sex differences are observed, and elucidate the specific components of reinforcement that may differ between males and females. Studies also should examine the possible generalizability of these sex differences to other drugs of abuse. Identification of specific factors responsible for these sex differences may lead to improved interventions for smoking cessation and other substance abuse in women.

Women's smoking behaviour--caught by a cigarette diary.

This study explores women's smoking behaviour in relation to mood, activity and social context. A particular aim was to design a 'cigarette diary', useful for research as well as for practical purposes. Fifty male nurses and secretaries kept a diary for one to three typical work days. Diaries consisted of a set of identical sheets, each of which related to one cigarette. Pre-smoking mood and the context of smoking were carefully noted. It was hypothesized that smoking is positively related to perceived stress. Results partly supported this hypothesis, but they also showed that a majority of the cigarettes were smoked in a state of happiness and relaxation.

Partner's smoking: a major determinant for changes in women'ssmoking behaviour during and after pregnancy

To study determinants for changes in maternal smoking behaviour during and after pregnancy, questionnaire information on smoking habits was recorded in a cohort of 3710 Norwegian women during early pregnancy, at delivery, and one year later. Of 3039 cohabiting women with complete information on smoking at all three occasions 31% smoked in early pregnancy 23% in the late pregnancy and 28% one year after delivery. Among the cohabiting mothers who smoked in early pregnancy, 44% stopped during pregnancy. After adjusting for confounding factors, the odds ratio for smoking cessation among these women who had cohabitants who smoked as opposed to not smoking was 0.2 (95% CI: 0.1-0.2). Among cohabiting non-smoking women during late pregnancy the odds ratio for being a smoker one year after child birth was 3.0 (95% CI: 2.2-4.0), if their cohabitants smoked as opposed to not smoking. The women's smoking behaviour changes considerably during and after pregnancy and their cohabitants' smoking seems to be a major determinant for changes in their smoking behaviour.

Clues to Women's Smoking Behavior

Despite an overall reduction in the number of U.S. smokers in recent years, deaths from smoking are still rising, especially among women.Interview data

Women's smoking and measures of women's socio-economic status in the United Kingdom

Surveys of smoking in the United Kingdom point to an increasingly strong association between cigarette smoking and socio-economic status among both men and women. They have uncovered a clear class gradient in smoking prevalence, with high socio-economic status associated with low smoking prevalence. These surveys rely on a particular set of procedures to determine the socio-economic position of women. The paper enters a caveat about these procedures. It reports on re-analyses of national data which suggest that the relationship between women's smoking and socio-economic status is more complex than that revealed through conventional measures of women's socio-economic position. In these re-analyses, women in some non-manual categories emerge with smoking prevalence rates that match those found among women in manual groups. The patterns uncovered in these re-analyses point to dimensions of women's smoking behaviour which are currently obscured in the surveys which inform health promotion and tobacco control policies in the UK.

The effects of smoking in pregnancy: a review of approaches to behavioural change

A substantial body of evidence has now been accumulated which suggests that cigarette smoking during pregnancy can result in an increased incidence in the number of babies born of lower birth weight. There is also an increase in perinatal mortality in babies born to smoking mothers, as well as a higher incidence of spontaneous abortion, greater mortality and morbidity during the first year of life and a lower rate of growth and reduction in mental aptitude into late adolescence. Despite this compelling evidence it has been found that only a relatively small proportion of women who smoke actually stop when they become pregnant. It has been found that knowledge of the potential effects of smoking does not appear to exert a major influence on pregnant women's smoking behaviour. There is also relatively little research which addresses the reasons why some pregnant women continue to smoke during pregnancy. The issue is clearly complex and the evidence that does exist points to the need for health professionals to adopt more sophisticated interventions with pregnant women, which move beyond a simple educational approach.

Women, smoking, cigarette advertising and cancer.

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of cancer in women, accounting for about one-fourth of their estimated 219,000 cancer deaths per year. Cigarette smoking specifically increases a woman's risk of developing cancer of the lung, larynx, esophagus, oral cavity, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and possibly uterine cervix. During the past twenty years, concerted efforts have been made by the tobacco industry to increase sales to women. Strategies have included development of "feminine" brands such as Virginia Slims, slick media campaigns portraying smoking as elegant and glamorous, and sponsorship of fashion, women's sports events, and even medical programs. Reversal of these alarming trends requires that women as well as men recognize the role of cigarette smoking in cancer causation, and support programs which promote non-smoking as well as combat the influence of the tobacco industry on women's smoking behavior.

Women's smoking and family health

Women's smoking behaviour, and the smoking behaviour of mothers in particular, is becoming an important focus of research in the area of health and inequality. Smoking among women is linked to social disadvantage, with the highest rates among white women in working class households. Evidence is accumulating of the effects of women's smoking on their health and on the health of their children. Women's smoking behaviour is also implicated in the process of childhood socialisation into smoking, with mother's smoking attitudes and practices identified as powerful influences on children's smoking behaviour. Despite the emphasis on maternal smoking in epidemiological studies, little attention has been paid in psychological and social research to the experience of smoking in the context of poverty and motherhood. Drawing on a study of 57 women caring for pre-school children in low-income families, the article explores some of the complex links between women's poverty, caring and smoking. The study suggests that, for a significant minority of mothers, poverty and caring combine with low levels of physical and emotional energy, with sleep problems and with feelings of social isolation. In this context, smoking appeared to provide a way of coping with caring-in-poverty: a way of coping alone with the demands of full-time caring and with the struggle of making ends meet.