The primary aim of this study was to compare HRQOL in snus-users and dual users (snus and smoking) with never tobacco users. Secondary aim included comparing HRQOL in smokers with non-smokers.
Tobacco use is a major public health issue. The number of smokers decrease simultaneously as oral moist snuff (called "snus"), is promoted as a healthier alternative in spite its' negative health effects. Studies of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of those who use snuff are lacking. Recruitment of 674 women and 605 men aged 18 to 65 years through a Swedish population data-base was performed for this cross-sectional study in southwestern Sweden. Subjects completed a questionnaire about tobacco use and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was used for statistical analysis.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
3,000
Health-related quality of life was measured using SF-36.
The SF-36 collected data on perceived health status in eight domains: physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role-emotional (RE) and mental health (MH). The physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS). Scores range from 0 to 100 with higher scores representing a higher perceived health
Time frame: The time when the data entry is made, about 8 weeks
Tobacco habits.
The term pack-year (numbers of cigarettes / day \* number of years / 20) and box-year (numbers of snuff boxes / week \* number of years) was used to describe tobacco use. The variables smoking and snuff use were transformed from one pack-year to pack-decades by dividing pack-year by 10. Similarly, box-years were transformed to box-decades and age from years to decades.
Time frame: The time when the data entry is made, about 8 weeks
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.