State of health self-rating scale differences in smoking and non-smoking patients with lung diseases
Marchand, H.; Müller, K.P.; Kostmann, K.; Brestrich, H.
Zeitschrift für Erkrankungen der Atmungsorgane 148(1): 44-53
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0303-657X PMID: 919618 Document Number: 118550
1000 patients of a chest hospital, among them 447 non-smokers and 553 smokers were interviewed with a self-rating questionnaire about their physical and psychical state of health, without knowing, that their answers might be evaluated under the view of smoking and non-smoking behaviour. Both groups could be well distinguished in relation to some topics. Non-smokers reported physical complaints more frequently and intensively and feeled more psychic impairments than smokers. The possible influence of the predominantly medical orientated health education upon this unexpected result is discussed. It is proposed to lay more attention upon the social conditions side by side with the medico-scientific informations, till now still insufficiently influencing the smoking behaviour of the population. Only some facts of the original material are reported. Therefore, this is only a report in a preliminary phase.