Respiratory symptoms correlating to smoking prevalence: the National Nutrition Survey and the National Life-style Survey in Japan.

BACKGROUND

Although the fact that smoking habits have adverse effects on health, whether the high proportion of smokers elevates the prevalence of symptoms relating to the smoking in a community is still unknown.

METHODS

An ecologic study about whole Japan was conducted. Age-adjusted smoking prevalence was calculated using the National Nutrition Survey data from 1986 through 1995 by prefecture and sex. Age-adjusted respiratory symptom prevalence were observed using the National Life-style Survey data in 1995. Correlation among 46 and/or 43 prefectures was examined by sex.

RESULTS

There was a negative correlation between smoking prevalence and wheezing prevalence among males (r = -0.301). Among females, positive correlations were observed on the symptoms of nasal obstruction (r = 0.355), nasal discharge (r = 0.344), sore throat (r = 0.481), cough (r = 0.350), sputum (r = 0.594), wheezing (r = 0.451), palpitation (r = 0.363), dyspnea (r = 0.587), and frontal chest pain (r = 0.472).

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking prevalence was deeply related to respiratory symptoms among females in Japan.