How should we define light or intermittent smoking? Does it matter?

Husten, Corinne G.

doi:10.1093/ntr/ntp010

Cited by 200 publications

(187 citation statements)

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“…Those who responded affirmatively were asked how many packs of cigarettes they smoked per day. We defined three smoking categories based on cutoffs identified in the literature: nonsmokers, light smokers (less than one pack per day) and heavy smokers (more than or equal to one pack per day) (Husten, 2009;Okuyemi, Ahluwalia, Richter, Mayo, & Resnicow, 2001). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smoking, HIV Status, and HIV Risk Behaviors in a Respondent-Driven Sample of Injection Drug Users in Baltimore, Maryland: The BeSure Study

Villanti

German

Sifakis

et al. 2012

AIDS Education and Prevention

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smoking, HIV Status, and HIV Risk Behaviors in a Respondent-Driven Sample of Injection Drug Users in Baltimore, Maryland: The BeSure Study

Villanti

German

Sifakis

et al. 2012

AIDS Education and Prevention

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“…Light smokers endorsed smoking every day and subsequently reported on a separate item consuming 10 or fewer cpd. Although there has been variability in categorizing low-level smokers ( Okuyemi et al, 2002 ), many recent studies have categorized non -daily smokers as " intermittent " ( Husten, 2009 ) and those smoking fewer than 10 cpd as " light " smokers ( Boulos et al, 2009 ;Fagan, Brook, Rubenstone, Zhang, & Brook, 2009 ;Fiore et al, 2008 ). As such, we adopted these defi nitions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences between intermittent and light daily smokers in a population of U.S. military recruits

Cooper

Taylor

Murray

et al. 2010

Nicotine & Tobacco Research

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Discussion: Intermittent and daily light smokers differ on several tobacco-related and psychosocial variables. Attending to these factors in prevention and cessation programs may enhance abstinence in both groups. IntroductionSmoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004 ). Despite a decrease in smoking among middle-aged and older adults, young adult smoking prevalence declines are smaller, and reductions in moderate to heavy smoking have been accompanied by an increase in prevalence of light and intermittent smoking ( Pierce, White, & Messer, 2009 ). One group of young adults who demonstrate high rates of smoking are individuals serving in the military ( Bray et al., 2006 ;Nelson & Pederson, 2008 ).Two subgroups of smokers who have received growing attention ( Fiore et al., 2008 ) and have yet to be examined among military personnel are light and intermittent (i.e., nondaily) smokers. Both young adults ( Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency, 2004 ) and ethnic minorities ( Ahluwalia et al., 2006 ;Rodriguez-Esquivel, Cooper, Blow, & Resor, 2009 ;Trinidad et al., 2009 ) are predominant in the military and evidence high rates of low-level smoking. Therefore, light and intermittent smoking are likely to be especially common in this group.A pattern of maintaining low levels of smoking has multiple implications. First, relative to never smoking, even light smoking is deleterious to health such that light smokers are at increased Abstract Introduction: Few studies have assessed differences between intermittent and light smokers, particularly among young adults. Exploring these differences promotes a systematic approach to research and treatment in low-level smokers. This study explored demographic, tobacco-related, and psychosocial predictors of intermittent nondaily smoking relative to light smoking among basic military training (BMT) recruits. The impact of smoking status on abstinence rates at follow-up was also assessed.Methods: Participants were 5,603 U.S. Air Force BMT intermittent nondaily ( n = 3,134) or light daily ( n = 2,469) smoking recruits participating in a population-based group randomized trial targeting tobacco use prevention and cessation , Effi cacy of a tailored tobacco control program on long-term use in a population of U.S. military troops. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 74,[295][296][297][298][299][300][301][302][303][304][305][306]. Participants completed baseline measures assessing demographics; tobacco use and history; and common social, attitudinal, and behavioral risk factors for tobacco use. Flights of recruits were randomly assigned to a tobacco use intervention or health education control intervention. At the 1-year follow-up, participants reported 7-day point prevalence and continuous abstinence. Results:Intermittent nondaily smoking relative to light daily smoking was associated with lesser perceived addiction, intermittent and daily use of smokeless tobacco, nonsmoking male and fe...

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“…Light and intermittent smokers may perceive their tobacco use to be less addictive, [9][10][11] although nicotine dependence symptoms appear to form rapidly in intermittent smokers 12 and the relationship between consumption and addiction does not follow a clear-cut threshold effect. 13 Some light and intermittent smokers do not even consider their use to qualify them as "smokers," demonstrating an unduly optimistic bias in their assessment of smoking's associated risks. [9][10][11]14 Also possible are potentially significant misconceptions regarding the safety of light and intermittent smoking.…”

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confidence: 99%

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Light and Intermittent Smoking in the United States

Amrock

Weitzman

2015

Pediatrics

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BACKGROUND: Light smoking, consuming a few cigarettes daily, and intermittent, or nondaily, smoking patterns are increasingly common but carry health risks comparable to heavier smoking patterns. Nearly all smokers begin smoking as adolescents, who are at risk for developing these smoking patterns. Previous research suggests that smokers underestimate the risks associated with smoking. The extent to which adolescents perceive light and intermittent smoking as harmful has not been previously assessed.METHODS: Data from 24 658 US adolescents sampled by the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a national, school-based, cross-sectional survey, were examined. Cross-tabulations and multivariate ordered probit regression models were constructed to describe correlates of US adolescents' perception of light and intermittent smoking.RESULTS: Although most adolescents (88.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 87.2% to 88.8%) reported beliefs that a heavier smoking pattern is very harmful, only 64.3% (95% CI; 63.2% to 65.3%) and 33.3% (95% CI; 32.0% to 34.6%) reported that light and intermittent smoking, respectively, are very harmful. Conversely, nearly one-quarter of US adolescents believed intermittent smoking causes little or no harm. Males, younger adolescents, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic blacks were more likely than their peers to view light and intermittent smoking patterns as less harmful. Those who were already light or intermittent smokers, those who used other tobacco products, and those who had a family member who used tobacco were also less likely to view their smoking patterns as harmful.CONCLUSIONS: Misconceptions about the safety of light and intermittent smoking are widespread among US adolescents. Significant public health attention is needed to redress these misperceptions.WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Light and intermittent smoking are harmful, but increasingly common, smoking patterns. It is unknown how adolescents perceive these smoking patterns, and whether these views differ by sociodemographic characteristics, and exposure to and use of tobacco.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: US adolescents perceive light and intermittent smoking as significantly less dangerous than heavier smoking. One in 4 adolescents believes intermittent smoking causes little to no harm. Perceptions of relative safety were common among smokers.

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How should we define light or intermittent smoking? Does it matter?

Cited by 200 publications

References 97 publications

Smoking, HIV Status, and HIV Risk Behaviors in a Respondent-Driven Sample of Injection Drug Users in Baltimore, Maryland: The BeSure Study

Smoking, HIV Status, and HIV Risk Behaviors in a Respondent-Driven Sample of Injection Drug Users in Baltimore, Maryland: The BeSure Study

Differences between intermittent and light daily smokers in a population of U.S. military recruits

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Light and Intermittent Smoking in the United States

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