title: Smoking habit profile and health-related quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have investigated the relationship between smoking and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and the results are not consistent. The aim of this study is to explore the association between smoking and HRQOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of 714 Spanish adults (44.7% never smokers and 55.3% smokers) without diagnosis of physical or mental disorder. Each participant provided information about different sociodemographic variables and data on HRQOL. Smokers also reported smoking-related information about smoking-related variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nicotine dependence was not associated with the physical dimension of HRQOL, but in the mental component, nicotine dependent smokers showed worse HRQOL than never smokers (p = 0.004) and than non-nicotine dependent smokers (p = 0.014). There were no differences between no-nicotine dependent smokers and never smokers. Smoking status (non smokers vs. smokers), number of cigarettes smoked per day, stage of change, quit attempts in the past year or age of smoking onset were not related to HRQOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In subjects without physical or mental diseases, only nicotine dependent smokers showed a significant impairment in the mental component of HRQOL. Therefore, it is important to consider nicotine dependence in the relationship between smoking and HRQOL.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Santiago de Compostela.
authors.forename: Elisardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Becoña
authors.forename: Ma Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: Ma del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Míguez
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández del Río
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Durán
authors.forename: Úrsula
authors.initials: Ú
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Bárbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piñeiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult