Characteristics and consistency of light smoking: long-term follow-up among Finnish adults.
BACKGROUND
The main body of smoking behavior research has targeted primarily moderate and heavy smoking. This study aimed to define characteristics of daily light smoking and to examine the consistency of this smoking pattern.


METHODS
We examined light smoking among the Finnish adult population using longitudinal data from the Older Finnish Twin Cohort, collected in 1975, 1981, and 1990. We defined light smoking as fewer than 5 cigarettes/day and heavy smoking as 20 or more cigarettes per day. We examined the characteristics of light smokers in comparison to heavy smokers, studied which baseline features predicted change in the light smoking pattern, and described how this pattern changed over time.


RESULTS
Among 9,940 current smokers in 1975, we identified 772 (7.8%) light smokers and 2,668 (26.9%) heavy smokers. Cross-sectionally, light smoking was characterized by female sex; younger age; higher education; lower consumption of alcohol, coffee, and other tobacco products; being single and physically active; and older age at smoking onset. Light smokers reported strong inhalation of cigarette smoke less often than did other smokers. Longitudinally, higher education, binge drinking, and moving in with a partner predicted changes in light smoking. The majority of the baseline light smokers were former, moderate, or heavy smokers at follow-ups, whereas only about 6% reported consistent light smoking throughout the 15-year study period.


CONCLUSIONS
In long-term follow-up, consistent light smokers represent a relatively small fraction of smokers. This dynamic pattern of light smoking complicates inferences from studies of health consequences, suggesting that light smoking should not be evaluated based on a single assessment.
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, and the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland.
Maria
M
Hukkinen
Jaakko
J
Kaprio
Ulla
U
Broms
Markku
M
Koskenvuo
Tellervo
T
Korhonen
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires