Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The earlier the better: health-related quality of life is inversely related to age of smoking cessation in older former Italian smokers

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Quitting smoking has several health benefits, including an improvement in health-related quality of life. It is not well established if there is a relationship between the age when people stop smoking and health-related quality of life in older adults.

Aims

The primary aim was to investigate the relationship between health-related quality of life and the age when people quit smoking in a national representative sample of community-dwelling older Italian adults. The secondary aim was to describe the characteristics of older former smokers according to their age when they stopped smoking.

Methods

Data were drawn from the “Health and use of health care in Italy”, a national cross-sectional survey (2004–2005). Seven thousand five hundred and sixty-two former smokers, aged 65 years and older, were evaluated by age of smoking cessation. Socio-demographic characteristics, physical activity, the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) score and its physical (PCS-12) and mental (MCS-12) component summary scores, disability and comorbidities were analyzed.

Results

Educational level, marital status and area of residence were associated with a different age of smoking cessation, as a higher level of disability and comorbidity. PCS-12 (β −0.144; p < 0.001) and MCS-12 (β −0.077; p < 0.001) component scores were lower in subjects who quit smoking later. The relationship was confirmed for the PCS-12 score even after adjustment for socio-demographic, disability and clinical variables (β −0.031; p < 0.001), while it disappeared for the MCS-12 score (β −0.010, p = 0.307), after adjustment for comorbidities.

Conclusion

Physical and mental health-related quality of life is influenced by the age of smoking cessation in older individuals, but this relationship is influenced by comorbidities, particularly depression. Some individual characteristics are related to the age of the person when he/she quit smoking.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gellert C, Schöttker B, Brenner H (2012) Smoking and all-cause mortality in older people: systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med 172:837–844

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Abu Hassan H, Abd Aziz N, Hassan Y et al (2014) Does the duration of smoking cessation have an impact on hospital admission and health-related quality of life amongst COPD patients? Int J Chron Obstruct Pulm Dis 14:493–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Mons U (2015) Impact of smoking and smoking cessation on cardiovascular events and mortality among older adults: meta-analysis of individual participant data from prospective cohort studies of the CHANCES consortium. BMJ 350:h1551

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Jha P, Ramasundarahettige C, Landsman V et al (2013) 21st-Century hazards of smoking and benefits of cessation in the United States. N Engl J Med 368:341–350

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Muezzinler A et al (2015) Smoking and all-cause mortality in older adults results from the CHANCES consortium. Am J Prev Med 49:e53–e63

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Strine TW, Okoro CA, Chapman DP et al (2005) Health-related quality of life and health risk behaviors among smokers. Am J Prev Med 28:182–187

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Martinez JA, Mota GA, Vianna ES et al (2004) Impaired quality of life of healthy young smokers. Chest 125:425–428

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mitra M, Chung MC, Wilber N et al (2004) Smoking status and quality of life: a longitudinal study among adults with disabilities. Am J Prev Med 27:258–260

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Shields M, Garner RE, Wilkins K (2013) Dynamics of smoking cessation and health-related quality of life among Canadians. Health Rep 24:3–11

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Coste J, Quinquis L, D’Almeida S et al (2014) Smoking and health-related quality of life in the general population. Independent relationships and large differences according to patterns and quantity of smoking and to gender. PLoS ONE 9:e91562

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2000) Measuring healthy days: population assessment of health-related quality of life. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  12. Tian J, Venn AJ, Blizzard L et al (2016) Smoking status and health-related quality of life: a longitudinal study in young adults. Qual Life Res 25:669–685

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Tillmann M, Silcock J (1997) A comparison of smokers’ and ex-smokers’ health-related quality of life. J Public Health Med 19:268–273

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Orfila F, Ferrer M, Lamarca R et al (2006) Gender differences in health-related quality of life among the elderly: the role of objective functional capacity and chronic conditions. J Soc Sci Med 63:2367–2380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ekwall AK, Sivberg B, Hallberg IR (2005) Loneliness as a predictor of quality of life among older caregivers. J Adv Nurs 49:23–32

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Mulder I, Tijhuis M, Smit HA et al (2001) Smoking cessation and quality of life: the effect of amount of smoking and time since quitting. Prev Med 33:653–660

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Piper ME, Kenford S, Fiore MC et al (2012) Smoking cessation and quality of life: changes in life satisfaction over 3 years following a quit attempt. Ann Behav Med 43:262–270

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. ISTAT, Information system on quality of statistical production processes. Approfondimenti. http://siqual.istat.it/SIQual/visualizza.do?id=0071201. Accessed 11 June 2016

  19. Bagatta G (2006) Il sistema di indagini sociali multiscopo. Contenuti e metodologia delle indagini. Metodi e Norme. 31. http://www3.istat.it/dati/catalogo/20060615_00/met_%20norme_06_31_il_sistema_di_indagini_multiscopo.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2016

  20. Center for Disease Prevention and Control. NHIS—adult tobacco use information. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/tobacco/tobacco_glossary.htm. Accessed 11 June 2016

  21. International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/classifications/icf/en/. Accessed 11 June 2016

  22. ISTAT (2009) La disabilità in Italia Il quadro della statistica ufficiale 978-88-458-1628-4, Argomenti n. 37

  23. Ware J Jr, Kosinski M, Keller SD (1996) A 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey: construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Med Care 34:220–233

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Jakobsson U (2007) Using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) to measure quality of life among older people. Aging Clin Exp Res 19:457–464

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Kodraliu G, Mosconi P, Groth N et al (2001) Subjective health status assessment: evaluation of the Italian version of the SF-12 Health Survey. Results from the MiOS Project. J Epidemiol Biostat 6:305–316

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RR et al (2007) Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Circulation 116:1081–1093

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Waxman A, World Health Assembly (2004) WHO global strategy on diet, physical activity and health. Food Nutr Bull 25:292–302

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Besdine RW, Wetle TF (2010) Improving health for elderly people: an international health promotion and disease prevention agenda. Aging Clin Exp Res 22:219–230

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Farchi G, Brescianini S, Maggi S et al (2004) Risk factors and health determinants in older Italians. Aging Clin Exp Res 16:3–12

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Maatouk I, Wild B, Wesche D (2012) Temporal predictors of health-related quality of life in elderly people with diabetes: results of a German cohort study. PLoS ONE 7:e31088

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Maatouk I, Wild B, Herzog W et al (2012) Longitudinal predictors of health-related quality of life in middle-aged and older adults with hypertension: results of a population-based study. J Hypertens 30:1364–1372

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Hopman WM, Harrison MB, Coo H et al (2009) Associations between chronic disease, age and physical and mental health status. Chronic Dis Can 29:108–116

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Choi NG, Di Nitto DM (2015) Role of new diagnosis, social isolation, and depression in older adults’ smoking cessation. Gerontologist 55:793–801

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Carta MG, Hardoy MC, Pilu A et al (2008) Improving physical quality of life with group physical activity in the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 4:1

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Mura G, Sancassiani F, Migliaccio GM et al (2014) The association between different kinds of exercise and quality of life in the long term. Results of a randomized controlled trial on the elderly. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 10:36–41

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Araújo M, Filoni E, Fernandes A et al (2014) Comparative study about quality of life between women practicing dance and sedentary women. Occup Environ Med 71(Suppl 1):A60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Borowiak E, Kostka T (2004) Predictors of quality of life in older people living at home and in institutions. Aging Clin Exp Res 16:212–220

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Lim L, Jin AZ, Ng TP (2012) Anxiety and depression, chronic physical conditions, and quality of life in an urban population sample study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47:1047–1053

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Ho CSh, Feng L, Fam J et al (2014) Coexisting medical comorbidity and depression: multiplicative effects on health outcomes in older adults. Int Psychogeriatr 26:1221–1229

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Mancuso CA, Peterson MG, Charlson ME (2000) Effects of depressive symptoms on health-related quality of life in asthma patients. J Gen Intern Med 15:301–310

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Ellis C, Grubaugh AL, Egede LE (2013) Factors associated with SF-12 physical and mental health quality of life scores in adults with stroke. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 22:309–317

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Hosoya T, Matsushima M, Nukariya K et al (2012) The relationship between the severity of depressive symptoms and diabetes-related emotional distress in patients with type 2 diabetes. Intern Med 51:263–269

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Lin JH, Huang MW, Wang DW et al (2014) Late-life depression and quality of life in a geriatric evaluation and management unit: an exploratory study. BMC Geriatr 14:77

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  44. Yun EH, Kang YH, Lim MK et al (2010) The role of social support and social networks in smoking behavior among middle and older aged people in rural areas of South Korea: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 10:78

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  45. Watt RG, Heilmann A, Sabbah W et al (2014) Social relationships and health related behaviors among older US adults. BMC Public Health 14:533

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  46. The Italian National Institute of Statistics [ISTAT] (2007) Indagine multiscopo annuale sulle famiglie: ‘Condizioni di salute e ricorso ai servizi sanitari’ Anni 2004–2005. http://www3.istat.it/salastampa/comunicati/non_calendario/20070302_00/testointegrale.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2016

  47. Perret JL, Walters EH, Abramson MJ et al (2014) The independent and combined effects of lifetime smoke exposures and asthma as they relate to COPD. Expert Rev Respir Med 8:503–514

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Lattanzio F, Mussi C, Scafato E et al (2010) Health care for older people in Italy: The U.L.I.S.S.E. Project (Un link informatico sui servizi sanitari esistenti per l’anziano—a computerized network on health care services for older people). J Nutr Health Aging. 14:238–242

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Annuario Statistico (2013) http://www.istat.it/it/files/2013/12/ASI_2013.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2016

  50. Drageset J, Eide GE, Ranhoff AH (2016) Better health-related quality of life (mental component summary), having a higher level of education, and being less than 75 years of age are predictors of hospital admission among cognitively intact nursing home residents: a 5-year follow-up study. Patient Prefer Adher 10:275–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Mulasso A, Roppolo M, Rabaglietti E (2014) The role of individual characteristics and physical frailty on health related quality of life (HRQOL): a cross sectional study of Italian community-dwelling older adults. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 59:542–548

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Lin CC, Li CI, Chang CK et al (2011) Reduced health-related quality of life in elders with frailty: a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling elders in Taiwan. PLoS ONE 6:e21841

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  53. Bilotta C, Bowling A, Casè A et al (2010) Dimensions and correlates of quality of life according to frailty status: a cross-sectional study on community-dwelling older adults referred to an outpatient geriatric service in Italy. Health Qual Life Outcomes 8:56

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Piazza Roma, 22, 60121, Ancona, Italy

    Beatrice Gasperini, Pamela Barbadoro, Marcello M. D’Errico, Francesco Di Stanislao, Elisa Ponzio & Emilia Prospero

  2. Geriatrics and Geriatrics Emergency Care, Italian National Research Center on Aging (IRCCS-INRCA), Ancona, Italy

    Antonio Cherubini

  3. Department of Economy, Section of Statistics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Francesca Pierri

Authors
  1. Beatrice Gasperini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pamela Barbadoro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Antonio Cherubini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francesca Pierri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Marcello M. D’Errico
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Francesco Di Stanislao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Elisa Ponzio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Emilia Prospero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beatrice Gasperini.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gasperini, B., Barbadoro, P., Cherubini, A. et al. The earlier the better: health-related quality of life is inversely related to age of smoking cessation in older former Italian smokers. Aging Clin Exp Res 29, 655–663 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0608-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0608-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation