Smoking and Disease: Attitudes and Knowledge in Middle-aged Men

Abstract

In a general health screening programme in Malmö, Sweden, 1037 men, 47–48 years old, were questioned on smoking habits and whether they believed in an association between smoking and cancer of the lungs, mouth, larynx and bladder, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and whether they believed that by giving up smoking they would reduce the risk. The association between smoking and disease was recognized by more ex-smokers than smokers. Less than half of the smokers believed in an association between smoking and the diseases listed in the questionnaire. The prevalence of dyspnoea, chronic bronchitis and asthma increased with increasing tobacco consumption as well as did the proportion using sleeping pills and the percentage with at least three episodes of disability the previous year. Fifty percent of all smokers wished to stop smoking but only 5 out of 10 were convinced of an improvement in health by quitting. The results show that there is a great need in society for well formulated information as to the health hazards of continued smoking and the benefits of giving it up.