Smoking has been linked to disease and injury. The purpose of this study is to investigate the smoking habits of motor vehicular occupant trauma center patients and their association with previous injury history and risky behaviours. The studied population included 323 motor vehicular driver injury patients (123 smokers and 200 non-smokers) interviewed as part of a larger study of psychoactive substance use disorders at an adult level I trauma center. Patients with head injuries, hospital stays < 2 days and diminished cognition were excluded. Interviews included demographic (age, gender, race, marital status), socioeconomic status (SES) (income, education, employment), risky behaviours (seat-belt non-use, drinking and driving, riding with drunk driver, binge drinking) and trauma history information (vehicular, assault and other injuries). Substance abuse (alcohol and drug dependence) was evaluated in depth using DSM IIIr criteria. Smokers and non-smokers were compared in relation to control and outcome variables using student’s t test and chi-square (alpha = 0.05). Outcome variables included previous trauma history and risky behaviours. Multiple logistic regression models using stepdown selection methods (alpha = 0.05) were constructed with risky behaviours and trauma history as dependent demographics, SES and substance abuse. (Author/publisher)
Abstract