[Smoking among a cohort of Spanish university graduates. The SUN Project].
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to assess the association between employment, educational level, marital status, and smoking in a large cohort of Spanish university graduates (3- and 5-year degrees), with a predominance of health professionals.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data of the first 7,508 participants in the follow-up study of the University of Navarre (SUN Project) was performed. The subjects were classified according to their smoking status. Independent variables were: employment, marital status, highest educational level attained, number of children, alcohol consumption (g/day), body mass index, and age. In the multivariate analysis, 3 non-conditional logistic regression models were built using the following outcomes: a) smokers vs never-smokers plus ex-smokers; b) smokers vs never-smokers; c) smokers of 15 or more cigarettes a day vs smokers of less than 15 cigarettes a day plus never-smokers and ex-smokers.


RESULTS
Among men, no association was found between employment and smoking status in any of the comparisons. In contrast, among women, being a nurse was associated with a higher prevalence of smoking. The prevalence of current smokers among nurses was 48.5%. Female students were also more likely to smoke and had a higher risk of being heavy smokers (OR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.28-2.57). A lower prevalence of smoking was found among participants of both sexes who had completed a doctorate.


CONCLUSIONS
Among a large Spanish collective with higher education, the prevalence of smoking was higher in women with a shorter college degree. The prevalence of smoking among nurses was higher than the average among women graduates, which is a cause for concern.
García de Albéñiz
Xabier Adrián
XA
Departamento de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Guerra-Gutiérrez
Félix
F
Ortega-Martínez
Rodrigo
R
Sánchez-Villegas
Almudena
A
Martínez-González
Miguel Angel
MA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*