RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMOKING AND DIET - THE MONICA-FRANCE PROJECT

The association between smoking habits and diet was examined in a sample of 1126 men, aged 45-64 years, from the general population living in the three French MONICA monitoring areas: Bas-Rhin (BR) (n = 346), Haute-Garonne (HG) (n = 400) and Urban Community of Lille (UCL) (n = 380). Diet was assessed by the 3-day record method. The energy and nutrient intakes were calculated for each of the 3 centres, using the same food composition tables. Alcohol consumption was higher among smokers (P < 0.001). Taking into account alcohol consumption, age, body mass index, centre, educational level and family size, the analyses showed no difference in non-alcoholic energy intake, proteins, carbohydrates. and total fat. However, smokers had a lower intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.05) and dietary fibre (P < 0.01) than non-smokers. With regard to food items, smokers had a higher intake of sucrose (P < 0.05) and a lower intake of vegetables (P < 0.001), dairy products (P < 0.05) and cheese (P < 0.05). These results suggest that analyses in future epidemiological research regarding the role of diet in the aetiology of tobacco-related diseases should consider this association of potential risk factors.