Smoking, alcohol, and dietary choices: evidence from the Portuguese National Health Survey
2007

Smoking, Alcohol, and Dietary Choices in Portugal

Sample size: 48606 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Padrão Patrícia, Lunet Nuno, Santos Ana Cristina, Barros Henrique

Primary Institution: University of Porto

Hypothesis

Do smoking status and dietary choices correlate in the Portuguese population?

Conclusion

Smokers in Portugal consume more alcohol and fewer healthy foods compared to non-smokers.

Supporting Evidence

  • Heavy smokers consume significantly less vegetable soup, vegetables, and fruit compared to non-smokers.
  • Smokers reported higher intakes of all alcoholic beverages analyzed.
  • Consumption of healthy foods decreases as the number of cigarettes smoked increases.

Takeaway

People who smoke tend to drink more alcohol and eat less healthy food like fruits and vegetables.

Methodology

Data from the third Portuguese National Health Survey was analyzed using multi-stage random probability design and logistic regression models.

Potential Biases

Self-reported dietary habits may be influenced by personal characteristics, leading to potential misclassification.

Limitations

The study used generic food classifications and lacked detailed dietary intake measures, which may affect the accuracy of the findings.

Participant Demographics

The sample included 20,302 women and 17,923 men, all older than 19 years, from various regions of Portugal.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 0.54–0.68

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-7-138

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