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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.123851v1 99/2/348    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Saarni, S. E. Articles by Kaprio, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Saarni, S. E. Articles by Kaprio, J. Related Collections Epidemiology Obesity, Overweight, Underweight Adolescent Health Surveys Tobacco Control

Suoma E. Saarni, MD, PhD, Kirsi Pietiläinen, MD, PhD, Suvi Kantonen, BM, Aila Rissanen, MD, PhD and Jaakko Kaprio, MD, PhD

Suoma E. Saarni, Kirsi Pietiläinen, Suvi Kantonen, and Jaakko Kaprio are with the Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Aila Rissanen and Kirsi Pietiläinen are with the Obesity Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki. Suoma E. Saarni and Jaakko Kaprio are also with the Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Suoma E. Saarni, Department of Public Health, PO Box 41, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (e-mail: suoma.saarni{at}helsinki.fi).

Objectives. We studied the association of adolescent smoking with overweight and abdominal obesity in adulthood.

Methods. We used the FinnTwin16, a prospective, population-based questionnaire study of 5 consecutive and complete birth cohorts of Finnish twins born between 1975 and 1979 (N = 4296) and studied at four points between the ages of 16 and 27 years to analyze the effect of adolescent smoking on abdominal obesity and overweight in early adulthood.

Results. Smoking at least 10 cigarettes daily when aged 16 to 18 years increased the risk of adult abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR]=1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.39, 2.26). After we adjusted for confounders, the OR was 1.44 (95% CI = 1.11, 1.88), and after further adjustment for current body mass index (BMI), the OR was 1.34 (95% CI = 0.95, 1.88). Adolescent smoking significantly increased the risk of becoming overweight among women even after adjustment for possible confounders, including baseline BMI (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.06, 2.88).

Conclusions. Smoking is a risk factor for abdominal obesity among both genders and for overweight in women. The prevention of smoking during adolescence may play an important role in promoting healthy weight and in decreasing the morbidity related to abdominal obesity.

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