Smoking and weight change after new health diagnoses in older adults.
BACKGROUND
Smoking and patterns of diet and activity are the 2 leading underlying causes of death in the United States, yet the factors that prompt individuals to adopt healthier habits are not well understood.


METHODS
This study was undertaken to determine whether individuals who have experienced recent adverse health events are more likely to quit smoking or to lose weight than those without recent events using Health and Retirement Study panel survey data for 20 221 overweight or obese individuals younger than 75 years and 7764 smokers from 1992 to 2000.


RESULTS
In multivariate analyses, adults with recent diagnoses of stroke, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, or diabetes mellitus were 3.2 times more likely to quit smoking than were individuals without new diagnoses (P < .001). Among overweight or obese individuals younger than 75 years, those with recent diagnoses of lung disease, heart disease, or diabetes mellitus lost -0.35 U of body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) compared with those without these new diagnoses (P < .001). Smokers with multiple new diagnoses were 6 times more likely to quit smoking compared with those with no new diagnoses. The odds of quitting smoking were 5 times greater in individuals with a new diagnosis of heart disease, and body mass index declined by 0.6 U in overweight or obese individuals with a new diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Across a range of health conditions, new diagnoses can serve as a window of opportunity that prompts older adults to change health habits, in particular, to quit smoking. Quality improvement efforts targeting secondary as well as primary prevention through the health care system are likely well founded.
Keenan
Patricia S
PS
Yale University School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06437, USA. patricia.keenan@yale.edu
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044469:Racial Groups; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss