title: Subjective health of male ex-smokers: relationship with time since smoking cessation, intensity and duration of tobacco consumption.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To examine the relationship of subjective health with time since smoking cessation and amount and duration of tobacco consumption among male ex-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pooled analysis of three household interview surveys conducted in 1993 (n = 8,494), 1995 (n = 2,556), and 1997 (n = 2,624) on samples representative of the noninstitutionalized population aged 16 and over in Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for the main confounders, ex-smokers with smoking burden < or =13 pack-years had a lower frequency of suboptimal health (fair, poor, or very poor) than current smokers (OR, 0.59; 95% Cl, 0.38-0.91) during the first year after cessation; thereafter, it reached a value similar to that of never-smokers 11 years or more after cessation. Among those with burden >13 pack-years, frequency of suboptimal health during the first year after cessation was higher than in current smokers (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.00-1.63). Afterwards, it fell progressively, approaching the value of never-smokers 11 years or more after cessation. Frequency of suboptimal health in ex-smokers increased with duration (years) of smoking (P linear trend = 0.045), but did not vary with the number of cigarettes smoked.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suboptimal health declined with time since smoking cessation, to reach the frequency of never-smokers. Longer duration of tobacco consumption is associated with worse subjective health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Díez-Gañán
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guallar-Castillón
authors.forename: José Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Banegas Banegas
authors.forename: Pedro José
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lafuente Urdinguio
authors.forename: Esteve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González Enríquez
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Artalejo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014026:Nicotiana