Smoking and drinking habits among the JPHC study participants at baseline survey. Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study on Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases.

Smoking and drinking habits at baseline survey among 110,896 male and female residents aged 40-69 are reported as part of an ongoing prospective population-based cohort in 11 geographically diverse health centers in Japan. The age-adjusted proportion of current and former smokers was 54.8% and 21.8% in males and 8.3% and 2.1% in females, respectively. Mean age at initiation of smoking in males and females was 20.6 and 27.8 years of age, respectively. In males, the age-adjusted proportion of those who drink almost daily was 49.1% and that of those who drink almost never was 19.7%, while in females, it was 5.9% and 71.6%, respectively. When compared by health center, the proportion of male current smokers was lower in Miyako and Ishikawa, both located in Okinawa Prefecture, while in females the proportion was higher in urban areas, such as Katsushika and Suita. The proportion of those who drink almost daily in males was higher in Yokote, Kashiwazaki, Katsushika and Suita, and lower in Ishikawa and Miyako, but in Ishikawa and Miyako, the proportion of those who drink at social events was higher. In females, the proportion of those who drink almost daily was higher in urban areas. There was substantial variation in the types of alcohol beverages consumed by males. In contrast, alcohol consumption in females comprised mainly beer.