Preinjury cigarette smoking among those with traumatic spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE

Identify the prevalence of cigarette smoking at the time of spinal cord injury (SCI) onset, compare the rate of cigarette smoking to that of the general population in the same geographic area, and identify the relationship of cigarette smoking with demographic, injury, behavioral, and psychological characteristics.

RESEARCH METHOD

Self-report assessments were completed during inpatient rehabilitation for new SCI.

RESULTS

The prevalence of smokers at the time of their SCI onset was 37.9%, substantially higher than the rate for those in the general population from the same geographic region (22.8%). Those who were smokers at SCI onset, on average, were older, had less education, were more likely to have consumed alcohol in the month prior to SCI onset, and had higher personality scores indicative of Impulsive/Sensation Seeking and Neuroticism/Anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

At the time of SCI, cigarette smoking is elevated over the general population and is related to behavioral and psychological factors that may be important to consider with smoking cessation interventions.