Health behavior of smokers--results of the TACOS (Transitions in Alcohol Consumption and Smoking) Study

The German TACOS Project (Transitions in Alcohol Consumption and Smoking) provided an opportunity to examine the patterns of health behaviours (nutrition, physical activity, alcohol consumption) of current smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers with special regard to different degrees of severity of nicotine dependence. Data were collected in the adult general population of Lübeck and 46 surrounding communities, resulting in a representative sample of 4075 individuals. In this sample, 37.3% were current smokers, 22.5% were ex-smokers, 25.0% of smokers were severely nicotine-dependent. As in other empirical investigations, current smokers had an unhealthy lifestyle in general. Smokers compared to ex-smokers and non-smokers consumed unhealthy foods more frequently, reported less physical activity and were more likely to consume hazardous levels of alcohol. Special attention was paid to comparing different degrees of severity of nicotine dependence. A high degree of nicotine dependence was associated with poor health behaviours. Data show that smoking, unhealthy nutrition, lack of physical activity, and hazardous levels of alcohol consumption occur in combination and that unhealthy behaviour patterns vary according to the severity of nicotine dependence. The presence of multiple unhealthy behaviours requires special secondary preventive interventions for smokers. The association of these combined health hazards must be controlled in determining the independent health risk due to one of these factors.