Relationship Between Smoking Status and Self-Rated Health A BRFSS 2023 Data Analysis
Disciplines
Public Health Education and Promotion
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with well-documented associations to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness. Self-rated health is a commonly used measure in population health research, strongly linked to morbidity and mortality outcomes . The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS, 2023), a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, provides a valuable opportunity to explore how smoking status influences health perceptions in a large and diverse population. Previous studies have shown that both current and former smokers tend to report worse self-rated health compared to those who have never smoked, reflecting the cumulative health consequences of tobacco use and its impact on quality of life . This study builds on existing research by using the most recent BRFSS data and incorporating important control variables, including age and body mass index (BMI), which are known to shape health outcomes and may confound the relationship between smoking and health perceptions. The analysis applies descriptive and comparative methods to examine distributions of smoking status, self-rated health, and their associations across demographic subgroups. Self-rated health was assessed both in its five-category form (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor) and in a binary classification (good/very good/excellent vs. fair/poor) . It is hypothesized that current and former smokers will report poorer self-rated health compared to those who have never smoked. Findings are expected to reinforce the connection between smoking and reduced health perceptions, underscoring the ongoing importance of tobacco prevention and cessation initiatives. Future research could build on this study by examining longitudinal changes in self-rated health among individuals who quit smoking, further informing strategies to reduce smoking-related disease burden
Use of AI Disclaimer
yes
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS – Health Promotion and Physical Education
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Kevin Gittner
Relationship Between Smoking Status and Self-Rated Health A BRFSS 2023 Data Analysis
Smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with well-documented associations to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness. Self-rated health is a commonly used measure in population health research, strongly linked to morbidity and mortality outcomes . The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS, 2023), a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, provides a valuable opportunity to explore how smoking status influences health perceptions in a large and diverse population. Previous studies have shown that both current and former smokers tend to report worse self-rated health compared to those who have never smoked, reflecting the cumulative health consequences of tobacco use and its impact on quality of life . This study builds on existing research by using the most recent BRFSS data and incorporating important control variables, including age and body mass index (BMI), which are known to shape health outcomes and may confound the relationship between smoking and health perceptions. The analysis applies descriptive and comparative methods to examine distributions of smoking status, self-rated health, and their associations across demographic subgroups. Self-rated health was assessed both in its five-category form (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor) and in a binary classification (good/very good/excellent vs. fair/poor) . It is hypothesized that current and former smokers will report poorer self-rated health compared to those who have never smoked. Findings are expected to reinforce the connection between smoking and reduced health perceptions, underscoring the ongoing importance of tobacco prevention and cessation initiatives. Future research could build on this study by examining longitudinal changes in self-rated health among individuals who quit smoking, further informing strategies to reduce smoking-related disease burden