title: Smoking status and health-related quality of life: a longitudinal study in young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The possibility that tobacco use affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has attracted interest. However, a lack of prospective evidence weakens the case for a causal relationship. The aim was to examine the longitudinal relationship between change in smoking status and change in HRQoL in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a population-based cohort study with data collected in 2004-2006 (aged 26-36) and 2009-2011 (aged 31-41). Exposure was change in self-reported smoking status during follow-up. Outcomes were changes in physical and mental HRQoL measured by SF-12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For physical HRQoL (n = 2080), quitters had a 2.12 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.73, 3.51) point improvement than continuing smokers, whereas former smokers who resumed smoking had a 2.08 (95 % CI 0.21, 3.94) point reduction than those who maintained cessation. Resumed smokers were 39 % (95 % CI 10, 75 %) more likely to have a clinically significant (>5 point) reduction of physical HRQoL than former smokers who maintained cessation. In contrast, quitters were 43 % (95 % CI 3, 98 %) more likely to have a clinically significant (>5 point) improvement in physical HRQoL than continuing smokers. Change in smoking status was not significantly associated with change in mental HRQoL (n = 1788).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking by young adults was cross-sectionally associated with lower physical HRQoL and longitudinally associated with reductions in physical HRQoL. The expectation of short- to medium-term gains in physical HRQoL as well as long-term health benefits may help motivate young adult smokers to quit.
authors: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Tian
authors: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.
authors: Alison J
authors: AJ
authors: Venn
authors: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.
authors: Leigh
authors: L
authors: Blizzard
authors: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors: George C
authors: GC
authors: Patton
authors: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.|The George Institute for Global Health, University of Oxford, Wellington Square, Oxford, UK.
authors: Terry
authors: T
authors: Dwyer
authors: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia. Seana.Gall@utas.edu.au.
authors: Seana L
authors: SL
authors: Gall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Longitudinal studies; Mental health; Quality of life; Smoking; Smoking cessation