Data from a survey of independently living adults in Massachusetts with major disabilities suggest possible associations between tobacco smoking and poor health outcomes. Of 656 respondents, 29.30% reported using tobacco in the four weeks prior to the interview. No significant association was found with socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, race, age, education, and household composition. However, tobacco smoking was associated with respondent-reported ADL and IADL status, proportion of life disabled, alcohol use, marijuana use, and difficulty with physical exercise. In addition, smoking was associated (p<.05) with the following poor health outcomes: poorer health status, worsening health over the last year, a greater number of days unable to work or go to school, physician visits in the past year and secondary conditions. Respondents who reported smoking were significantly (p<.05) more likely to report the following secondary conditions: depression, chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, and burns. Falls/injuries was marginally significant (p<.06). These associations were stable over successive phases of the survey. This presentation will also present a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between smoking and number of secondary conditions. These analyses support the importance of examining smoking patterns among people with disabilities and investigating the relationship between smoking and poor health outcomes among people with disabilities.
Learning Objectives: Participants will
Keywords: Disability, Tobacco
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