Weight concerns and cognitive style: Which carries more "weight" in the prediction of smoking among college women?

Abstract

Although weight concerns and smoking are related, anorexic and bulimic women, both of whom have elevated weight concerns, have significant differences in smoking status. Fewer anorexic women smoke, compared with bulimic women, suggesting that weight concerns do not fully explain smoking status. This study investigated the contribution of one factor, cognitive style, to differences in smoking status among college women with different levels of weight concerns: Anorexic tendencies (n = 47), bulimic tendencies (n = 62), weight concerns (n = 56), and no weight concerns (n = 76). Nearly 47% of women with bulimic tendencies, 37.5% of women with weight concerns, and 27.7% of women with anorexic tendencies were current smokers. A total of 22% of women without weight concerns were current smokers. A logistic regression model revealed that race, age, the Personal Standards subscale of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Self-Control and Self-Esteem subscale of the Brief Mizes Anorectic Cognitions Questionnaire, and membership in the bulimic tendencies category were significant independent predictors of smoking status. Both weight concerns and cognitive-style variables, including perfectionism and self-control, carried "weight" in the prediction of smoking among college women. In light of these findings, treatment research should explore both the behavioral and cognitive factors associated with weight-concerned college smokers.

Risk factors for smoking among adolescent survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the childhood cancer survivor study

“…In particular, physical inactivity was not related to survivor ever or recent smoking, despite such associations commonly identified for healthy adolescents [22,23]. Purging was significantly associated with ever and recent smoking in univariate analyses, consistent with the increased smoking risk identified among healthy teens who engage in disordered eating behaviors [24-26]. However, after household and peer smoking variables were added to the models, the association was no longer significant.…”

“…Associations between smoking and weight control practices and disordered eating behaviors among healthy adolescents are well established [24-26,41,42] and may bear particular significance for some survivors of childhood cancer due to their increased risk for obesity and being overweight [43,44]. For survivors who struggle to regulate their eating, smoking could be viewed as a means of weight control, a commonly reported smoking expectancy among healthy adolescents [45-47].…”

“…In particular, we examined other health behaviors that are associated with smoking among healthy teens and young adults in the general population but have not been examined in survivor populations (e.g., inactivity [22,23], eating disordered behaviors [24-26]). Other psychosocial risk factors associated with smoking among healthy adolescents were also explored, including peer and family smoking [27-29] and indicators of psychological distress [30].…”

The many faces of tobacco use among women

“…Many of them start smoking as a weight control strategy whereas others continue to smoke, even during pregnancy or after delivery to avoid post-cessation weight gain [27,28]. In developed countries the relationship between smoking and weight concerns is particularly strong in adolescent and college age women [29–31]. …”

The relationship between disordered eating and cigarette smoking among adult female twins

“…14 There is also significant epidemiological evidence of mood and anxiety disturbances among smokers 16,17 and those with disordered eating. 20 Further research implicates impulsivity as having a robust associations with cigarette smoking. 20 Further research implicates impulsivity as having a robust associations with cigarette smoking.…”