(1989) states that this term covers a variety of conditions including: aggravation of exercise-induced angina, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, stroke, sudden cardiac death, arteriosclerotic peripheral vascular disease and Berger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans). Milhorn also reports that passive smokers (those who breath the cigarette smoke of others) are susceptible to some cardiovascular problems, the most common of which is the aggravation of exercised-induced angina and premature ventricular contractions.
Smoking also places people at risk for pulmonary diseases. These, Milhorn (1989) states include: impaired pulmonary function, emphysema, acute and chronic bronchitis, chronic cough and hoarseness due to vocal cord irritation. Among passive smokers, pulmonary health consequences include impaired pulmonary function in both adults and children, asthma attacks, pulmonary infections, bronchiolitis, and decreased growth rate of lungs.
Sociodemographic and Psychological Factors Associated With
Smoking behavior is associated with a number of sociodemographic and psychological factors. For example, gender and race have been found to be related to differences in the prevalence of smoking.
With respect to the foregoing, Mathre (1994) reports that while the prevalence of cigarette smoking has dropped to 31.7 percent for men and 26.8 percent for women, this drop has been primarily among better educated, white Americans. However, Mathre also notes that more women are becoming nicotine users than are men. She states that by the year 2000, if this trend continues, women will smoke more than men.
Ute (1994) also found ethnicity and gender differences in a study of an ongoing coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor assessment program, implemented by the Los Angeles Affiliate of the American Heart Association. Specifically, in the study, a group of recent participants (females n...