Tobacco smoking, an independent determinant for unhealthy diet? A cross-sectional study of Norwegian workers on platforms in the North Sea

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine whether male tobacco smokers had a more unhealthy diet than non-smokers. Data on smoking and other variables were collected by questionnaire interviews and food intake by one 24 h recall. The setting was 2 oil platforms. The participants were 310 healthy men working on 2 platforms in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The mean ages were 37 and 39 years for non-smokers and smokers. The prevalence of smoking was 50.3%. Smoking decreased with increasing level of education, but increased with degree of urbanization. Smokers consumed less vegetables, fruit and fish, but more meat, soft drinks containing sugar and more coffee than non-smokers. Smokers had a higher intake of fat and a lower intake of carbohydrate, vitamins A, D and C and dietary fibre. Smoking was an independent predictor for increasing the consumption of coffee and high intake of energy, energy from fat and cholesterol and a decreasing consumption of vegetables, fruit, energy from carbohydrates, dietary fibre and vitamins A and C. It is concluded that smokers had a more unhealthy diet than non-smokers.