Limited Nutritional Access Linked to Habit.

• Position: SMOKING - Brief article

Tobacco use and poor nutrition continue to be the underlying causes of the greatest number of preventable deaths in the U.S. A study from the University at Albany (N.Y.) finds the two may be connected. Led by Akiko Hosier and Isaac Michaels, researchers in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics analyzed health interview surveys and food environment assessments of just under 2,000 adults in Schenectady, N.Y.

They found that individuals who ate zero or one serving of fruits and vegetables daily more than doubled their odds of smoking, compared with those who ate five or more servings per day. In addition, those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, using a food pantry, living in a neighborhood with low access to healthy food, and/or shopping for food at stores with limited healthy food choices also were associated with significantly higher odds of smoking.

"Smoking and poor nutrition are the two leading preventable causes of death, but their association has not been extensively investigated," says Hosier, an associate professor.

Prevalence of...