Earlier smoking after waking and the risk of asthma: a cross-sectional study using NHANES data

Research article

Open Access

Open Peer Review

BMC Pulmonary Medicine

• Arielle S. SelyaEmail authorView ORCID ID profile,
• Sunita Thapa and
• Gaurav Mehta

BMC Pulmonary Medicine201818:102

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-018-0672-y

Open Peer Review reports

Abstract

Background

Recent research shows that nicotine dependence conveys additional health risks above and beyond smoking behavior. The current study examines whether smoking within 5 min of waking, an indicator of nicotine dependence, is independently associated with asthma outcomes.

Methods

Data were drawn from five pooled cross-sectional waves (2005–14) of NHANES, and the final sample consisted of N = 4081 current adult smokers. Weighted logistic regressions were run examining the relationship between smoking within 5 min of waking and outcomes of lifetime asthma, past-year asthma, and having had an asthma attack in the past year. Control variables included demographics, smoking behavior, family history of asthma, depression, obesity, and secondhand smoking exposure.

Results

After adjusting for smoking behavior, smoking within 5 min was associated with an approximately 50% increase in the odds of lifetime asthma (OR = 1.46, p = .008) and past-year asthma (OR = 1.47, p = .024), respectively. After additionally adjusting for demographics and other asthma risk factors, smoking within 5 min of waking was associated with a four-fold increase in the odds of lifetime asthma (OR = 4.05, p = .015).

Conclusions

Smoking within 5 min of waking, an indicator of nicotine dependence, is associated with a significantly increased risk of lifetime asthma in smokers. These findings could be utilized in refining risk assessment of asthma among smokers.

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