Relationships between cigarette smoking, body mass index, body weight, and dietary intake among Thai adults

Cigarette smoking is considered as a major risk factor for leading causes of death worldwide including cancers and cardiovascular disease. Compared to developed countries, the smoking rate in developing countries has been alarmingly increasing. Thailand, in particular, is also facing the same challenge. It has been established that smokers tended to have unhealthy dietary intake, and have lower body weight and body mass index compared to non-smokers. Not many studies have observed the prevalence of smoking and its association with body mass index and body weight in Asia and in Thailand. The aims of this study were to determine smoking prevalence and to examine the relationship between smoking, dietary intake pattern and body mass index of Thai adults. Participants aged 18 and over were randomly selected across Thailand using a multistage, random sampling strategy. A structured interview incorporating health questionnaire, 24-hour dietary recall and anthropometric measurements were applied.