Predictors of marked weight gain in a population of health care and industrial workers following smoking cessation.
- Scherr A Clinic of Pneumology and Pulmonary Research, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland. scherra@uhbs.ch.
- Seifert B Industrial Health Service, F. Hoffman- La Roche AG,, Basel, Switzerland. bruno.seiffert@roche.com.
- Kuster M Industrial Health Service, Novartis International AG, Basel, Switzerland. martin.kuster@novartis.com.
- Meyer A Clinic of Pneumology and Pulmonary Research, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland. Anja.Meyer@usb.ch.
- Fagerstroem KO Smokers Information Centre, Fagerstroem Consulting AB, Helsingborg, Sweden. karl.fagerstrom@tele2.se.
- Tamm M Clinic of Pneumology and Pulmonary Research, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland. Michael.Tamm@usb.ch.
- Stolz D Clinic of Pneumology and Pulmonary Research, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland. Daiana.Stolz@usb.ch.
- 2015-05-31
Published in:
- BMC public health. - 2015
Adult
Body Mass Index
Body Weight
Cardiovascular Diseases
Diabetes Mellitus
Drug Industry
Female
Health Personnel
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Middle Aged
Smoking Cessation
Socioeconomic Factors
Switzerland
Weight Gain
English
BACKGROUND
Concerns about postcessational weight gain might hamper rather than encourage smokers to quit smoking.
METHODS
We conducted a comprehensive multi-institutional smoking cessation program for health care and industrial workers (n = 654) employed at University Hospital Basel (Switzerland) and two local health industry companies (Novartis International AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG). The program contained counselling with an option of pharmacological support. Changes in body weight were observed during 24 months of follow-up. Factors associated with longitudinal weight gain (> 5 % of baseline weight) were identified by cox-regression analysis.
RESULTS
In 51 % of permanent quitters no significant changes of mean body weight were observed after 12 (0.52 kg, SD ± 2.87 kg) and 24 months (0.40 kg, SD ± 2.99 kg). Marked weight gain following smoking cessation was characterized by a wide margin of changes. In more than a half of former smokers (58 %) weight increases were moderate (< 5 kg), whereas excessive increases (> 10 kg) were seen in only 10 % of quitters. Lower baseline BMI (HR 0.60, 95 % CI 0.40- 0.80, p = 0.03), daily consumption of less than ten cigarettes (HR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.27- 0.63, p = 0.04) and ischemic cardiopathy (HR 0.21, 95 % CI 0.07-0.62; p < 0.01) were associated with a lower risk for weight gain. Employees with lower educational levels (HR 2.60, 95 % CI 1.60-5.50, p < 0.01), diabetes mellitus (HR 3.05, 95 % CI 2.20-8.06, p = 0.02) and those smoking to reduce boredom in life (HR 1.68, 95 % CI 1.21-2.33, p < 0.01) were at highest risk.
CONCLUSION
Marked postcessational weight gain occurs less often than expected, but remains difficult to be predicted. Our findings might be helpful to alleviate weight concerns in the average smoker willing to quit.
Concerns about postcessational weight gain might hamper rather than encourage smokers to quit smoking.
METHODS
We conducted a comprehensive multi-institutional smoking cessation program for health care and industrial workers (n = 654) employed at University Hospital Basel (Switzerland) and two local health industry companies (Novartis International AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG). The program contained counselling with an option of pharmacological support. Changes in body weight were observed during 24 months of follow-up. Factors associated with longitudinal weight gain (> 5 % of baseline weight) were identified by cox-regression analysis.
RESULTS
In 51 % of permanent quitters no significant changes of mean body weight were observed after 12 (0.52 kg, SD ± 2.87 kg) and 24 months (0.40 kg, SD ± 2.99 kg). Marked weight gain following smoking cessation was characterized by a wide margin of changes. In more than a half of former smokers (58 %) weight increases were moderate (< 5 kg), whereas excessive increases (> 10 kg) were seen in only 10 % of quitters. Lower baseline BMI (HR 0.60, 95 % CI 0.40- 0.80, p = 0.03), daily consumption of less than ten cigarettes (HR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.27- 0.63, p = 0.04) and ischemic cardiopathy (HR 0.21, 95 % CI 0.07-0.62; p < 0.01) were associated with a lower risk for weight gain. Employees with lower educational levels (HR 2.60, 95 % CI 1.60-5.50, p < 0.01), diabetes mellitus (HR 3.05, 95 % CI 2.20-8.06, p = 0.02) and those smoking to reduce boredom in life (HR 1.68, 95 % CI 1.21-2.33, p < 0.01) were at highest risk.
CONCLUSION
Marked postcessational weight gain occurs less often than expected, but remains difficult to be predicted. Our findings might be helpful to alleviate weight concerns in the average smoker willing to quit.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1186/s12889-015-1854-7
- PMID 26025035
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/8666
Statistics
Document views: 10
File downloads:
- fulltext.pdf: 0