Differences in Dietary Patterns of Nonsmoking Adults Married to Smokers vs. Nonsmokers

Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Characteristics Associated with Maternal Dietary Patterns in Mexico

There is scarce evidence on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics that may explain adherence to different dietary patterns (DPs) during pregnancy. Our aims were to identify dietary patterns in a sample of pregnant Mexican women and to describe their association with selected sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. This is a secondary cross-sectional analysis of 252 mothers of children that participated as controls in a hospital-based case-control study of childhood leukemia. We obtained parents' information about selected sociodemographic characteristics, as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption. We also obtained dietary information during pregnancy. We identified DPs using cluster and factor analyses and we estimated their association with characteristics of interest. We identified two DPs using cluster analysis, which we called "Prudent" and "Non healthy", as well as three DPs through factor analysis, namely "Prudent", "Processed foods and fish", and "Chicken and vegetables". Characteristics associated with greater adherence to "Prudent" patterns were maternal education, older paternal age, not smoking, and being a government employee and/or uncovered population. Likewise, the "Processed foods and fish" pattern was associated with greater maternal and paternal education, as well as those with less household overcrowding. We did not identify sociodemographic variables related to the "Chicken and Vegetables" pattern. Our results may be useful to identify target populations that may benefit from interventions aimed to improve individual dietary decisions during pregnancy.

Living With a Smoker and Physical Inactivity: An Unexplored Health Behavior Pathway

PURPOSE

The present study investigated an unexplored health behavior pathway: the association between living with a smoker and physical inactivity.

DESIGN

The study performed an analysis of cross-sectional data from the second wave of the Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (2004-2006).

SUBJECTS

The sample included 1050 women and 945 men, ages 30 to 84 years (mean, 56.5 years).

MEASURES

In addition to control variables, survey items indexed presence of a smoker in the respondent's home, and physical inactivity and low health commitment on the part of the respondent.

ANALYSIS

Analysis employed multiple logistic regression analyses, controlling for sociodemographic factors as well as health restrictions on physical activity and respondents' current smoking status.

RESULTS

Living with a smoker was linked to 56% higher odds of physical inactivity. Low health commitment mediated this association. Living with a smoker was linked to lower health commitment (B = .31), and low health commitment was linked in turn to increased odds of physical inactivity (odds ratio, 1.36).

CONCLUSIONS

The increased health risk among individuals living with a smoker is assumed to be a function of exposure to secondhand smoke. We demonstrate an unexplored behavioral pathway involving a link between living with a smoker and physical inactivity. These findings suggest that household smoking bans may have broad health behavior effects beyond reducing smoking.

Influence of smoking on predictors of vascular disease

Beyond the already well-established strong causative relationship with cancer, smoking increases the risk for vascular disease. Smoking may act directly or adversely influence risk factors contributing to the development of vascular disease. Smoking causes endothelial dysfunction, dyslipidemia (decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, hypertriglyceridemia and increased oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and platelet activation leading to a prothrombotic state. Smoking increases emerging risk factors (eg, fibrinogen, homocysteine, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) and increases insulin resistance and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. The beneficial effects of statins and antioxidants (eg, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene) are counteracted by smoking. Smoking-induced alterations in growth factors, adhesion molecules, and even in genes can accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this review is to consider the adverse consequences of smoking on the factors predisposing to vascular disease and to emphasize the beneficial effects of smoking cessation.

The influence of simultaneous whole body exposure to cigarette smoke and low-protein diet feeding on fertility, reproduction, and progeny of rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the toxicological influence of different concentrations of tobacco smoke and low-protein diet on fertility, reproduction, and survival of offspring of Wistar female rats. We studied three generations, two litters in each. There were 192 animals in parent generation. Animals were exposed to three different concentrations of tobacco smoke that were reflected by the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration (500, 1000, and 1500 mg CO/m3 air) during 11 weeks (six before and two weeks during mating, and three weeks of pregnancy). Additionally, animals were divided into two subgroups that were fed normal or low-protein diet. In the present study, we concentrated on the indices describing the reproduction ability, fertility, and rearing of pups of mothers exposed to tobacco smoke. The parameters of newborns survival were estimated also. We concluded that neither tobacco smoke exposure nor the low-protein diet changed the duration of pregnancy. The tobacco smoke in all doses and low-protein diet had a negative influence on fertility, reproduction, and survival of newborns from exposed mothers. This influence was mainly attributed to the tobacco smoke exposure. The levels of carboxyhaemoglobin were increasing with increasing tobacco smoke concentration.