Pergamon Addictive Behaviors. Vol. 20. No. 4. DD. 409-426. 1995 Copyright 0 1995 Elsker Science Ltd Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0306-4603/95 $9.50 + .OO 03ofG46o3(95)ooo11-9 SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE VETERANS EVELYN P. WHITLOCK Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and Oregon Health Sciences University LINDA H. FERRY Jerry L. Pettis Veterans Affairs Medical Center RAOUL J. BURCHETTE and DAVID ABBEY Loma Linda University zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQ Abstract - Recent studies suggest that the prevalence of smoking among active duty mili- tary women is higher than that of active duty military men or civilians of either gender. No data have been published on cessation rates among female veterans. We wanted to report such rates in a group of female veterans at Pettis VAMC Preventive Medicine Clinic and to study predictive factors for smoking cessation and prevention. We identified female patients at Pettis VAMC Preventive Medicine Women’s Clinic who had received services in the past 3 years or who enrolled as new patients during the study period; 529 received questionnaires by mail or at the clinic; 409 returned completed surveys. A high proportion (32.5%) of our sample of female veterans were current smokers, and 67% of female veteran smokers reported smoking at least one pack daily. More than one-third of ever-smokers began smok- ing during military service. Thirty-nine percent of the female veteran sample had CES-D scores of 16 or greater, and current smokers had significantly greater mean CES-D scores than former smokers. Twenty-three percent of current smokers had high nicotine depen- dence scores (>7). The highest proportion of CES-D scores compatible with depressive symptoms (55%) was seen among current smokers who consumed a pack or more of ciga- rettes per day. Ever-smokers who screened as depressed were significantly less likely to have quit than those with lower CES-D scores; however, in multivariate models, CES-D scores were not significantly related to cessation. The prevalence of current, ever, and heavy smoking was high among this sample of female veterans attending a VAMC Preven- tive Medicine clinic. An unexpectedly high prevalence of screening scores compatible with depression was found among this sample, particularly among smokers. This warrants further investigation, particularly in light of the reported relationship between depression and smoking. Military service has been associated with an increased risk of cigarette smoking (Bray et al., 1986; Waldron, 1991), particularly heavy smoking (Bray, Marsden, & Peterson, 1991). Waldron has estimated that veterans accounted for 5% of the male excess in smoking prevalence in the United States in 1955 (Waldron, 1986). Military Data collection was supported in part by funds from Cooperative Agreement No. U58/CCU900590-07 between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Public Health Service, and the Cancer Surveillance Section, California Department of Health Services. The survey on which this analysis was based was conducted at Pettis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Loma Linda, California. This study would not have been possible without the committed support and assistance of Violet Kloth and Judith E. Hyder, R.N., M.A. Our greatest appreciation to them. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data have been provided by the California Department of Health Services and its agent. the California Public Health Foundation. The ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and no endorsement of the State of California, Department of Health Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, or the California Public Health Foundation is intended or should be inferred. Requests for reprints should be sent to Evelyn P. Whitlock, M.D., M.P.H., Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N. Kaiser Center Drive, Portland, OR, 97227. 409