Passive smoking and atherosclerosis - IESC/UFRJ

Matanoski et al compared the characteristics of about 2,500 non-active smoking women
whose husbands were smokers with those of approximately 1,400 non-active smoking women
whose husbands did not smoke. The study population was identified among women who had
participated in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) carried
out in 1971-75 and the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study conducted in 1982-84 (Am J
Epidemiol 1995;142:149-57). The odds of having a smoking husband relative to that of having
a nonsmoking husband according to selected demographic and dietary characteristics are
shown in table 5.
Table 5. Odds ratios of having a smoking husband in women who were not active smokers
according to selected demographic and dietary variables: first National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES I) and NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study.
Characteristic/Food
Odds Ratio (95% confidence interval)
Age 60 years vs. < 40 1.29 (1.10-1.51)
White vs. Nonwhite 0.79 (0.65-0.95)
Urban vs. Rural residence 1.17 (1.01-1.36)
Education > 12 years vs. < 12 years 0.48 (0.40-0.57)
Raw vegetables 1 or more times daily vs. less than
once daily§
0.87 (0.75-1.02)
Eats poultry skin: Yes vs. No§ 1.19 (1.03-1.37)
Odds ratio = [Odds of exposure to factor with smoking spouse] [Odds of exposure to factor
with nonsmoking spouse]
§ Age-adjusted
E8-12