Abstract

The association between lifetime major depression (MD) and three smoking cessation-related variables was examined in a community sample of 6257 female and male Australian young adult twins. Lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV MD was greater in women, 33%, than in men, 23% (P <0.01). Smoking cessation-related variables included difficulty quitting, a DSM-IV substance dependence criterion defined as unsuccessful efforts to control substance use; successful quitting; having quit for 6+ months, and persistence; currently smoking. Among regular smokers (100 + cigarettes lifetime), 89% of women and 91% of men reported difficulty quitting, 33% of women and 23% of men were successful quitters (P<0.01), and 62% of women and 72% of men were current smokers (P <0.01). MD was a predictor of difficulty quitting for both women (OR= 1.6 [95% CI 1.2. 2.2]) and men (OR = 1.7 [95% CI 1.1, 2.7]), and for women only, MD was negatively associated with successful quitting (OR = 0.7 [95% CI 0.6, 0.8]) and positively associated with smoking persistence (OR= 1.4 [1.1, 1.7]). Thus, even though more women than men were successful quitters and fewer women than men were current smokers, MD appeared to be a deterrent to successful quitting only for women in the long-term, but for both women and men in the short-term.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)569
Number of pages1
JournalAmerican Journal of Medical Genetics - Neuropsychiatric Genetics
Volume105
Issue number7
StatePublished - Oct 8 2001

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