Screening women in family practice settings: association between depression and smoking cigarettes.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this survey study was to test female family practice outpatients for an association between depression and cigarette smoking.


METHODS
The survey consisted of demographic items including questions on smoking, and an eight-item self-report depression screening instrument. Eighty percent of the women (ages 18-91) approached agreed to participate in this study (N = 695).


RESULTS
Thirty-two percent scored positive for depression and 28% smoked cigarettes. Cigarette smokers had significantly higher depression scores than did nonsmokers, and heavier smokers (> 10/day) had higher scores than did smokers of 10 or fewer cigarettes/day.


CONCLUSIONS
There appears to be an association between smoking and depression among female family practice patients. This warrants both patient care and research attention.
Tamburrino
M B
MB
Medical College of Ohio, Department of Psychiatry, Toledo 43699-0008.
Lynch
D J
DJ
Nagel
R W
RW
Stadler
N
N
Pauling
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*