Effects of Smoking and Smoking Cessation on Life Expectancy in an Elderly Population in Beijing, China, 1992–2000: An 8-Year Follow-up Study

Xiaobing Tian; Zhe Tang; Jingmei Jiang; Xianghua Fang; Xiaoguang Wu; Wei Han; Shaochen Guan; Hongjun Liu; Lijun Diao; Fei Sun

doi:10.2188/jea.JE20110001

Original Article

Effects of Smoking and Smoking Cessation on Life Expectancy in an Elderly Population in Beijing, China, 1992–2000: An 8-Year Follow-up Study

Xiaobing Tian, Zhe Tang, Jingmei Jiang, Xianghua Fang, Xiaoguang Wu, Wei Han, Shaochen Guan, Hongjun Liu, Lijun Diao, Fei Sun

Author information

Xiaobing Tian
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College
Zhe Tang
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Jingmei Jiang
Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College
Xianghua Fang
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Xiaoguang Wu
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Wei Han
Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College
Shaochen Guan
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Hongjun Liu
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Lijun Diao
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Fei Sun
Department of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University

Keywords: smoking, smoking cessation, life expectancy, active life expectancy, elderly population, discrete-time hazard model

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2011 Volume 21 Issue 5 Pages 376-384

DOI https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20110001

View "Advance Publication" version (July 9, 2011).

Details

Abstract

Background: We assessed the effects of smoking and smoking cessation on life expectancy and active life expectancy among persons aged 55 years or older in Beijing.
Methods: This study included 1593 men and 1664 women who participated in the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging, which commenced in 1992 and had 4 survey waves up to year 2000. An abridged life table was used to estimate life expectancy, in which age-specific mortality and age-specific disability rates were adjusted by using a discrete-time hazard model to control confounders.
Results: The mean ages (SD) for men and women were 70.1 (9.25) and 70.2 (8.72) years, respectively; mortality and disability rates during follow-up were 34.7% and 8.0%, respectively. In both sexes, never smokers had the highest life expectancy and active life expectancy across ages, as compared with current and former smokers. Current heavy smokers had a shorter life expectancy and a shorter active life expectancy than light smokers. Among former smokers, male long-term quitters had a longer life expectancy and longer active life expectancy than short-term quitters, but this was not the case in women.
Conclusions: Older adults remain at higher risk of mortality and morbidity from smoking and can expect to live a longer and healthier life after smoking cessation.

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