Alcohol Consumption and Cigarette Smoking among Young Adults: An Instrumental Variable Analysis Using Alcohol Flushing

Association between drinking and smoking has remained controversial since the association between two studies were influenced by various confounding. Thus, our study aimed to explore the causal effect of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking using alcohol flushing as an instrument variable, whic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-10, Vol.18 (21), p.11392
Main Authors: Jee, Yongho, Park, Susan, Yuk, Eunu, Cho, Sung-Il
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictive behaviors
Adults
Alcohol
Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology
Alcohol use
Alcohols
Behavior
Cigarette Smoking
Cigarettes
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dependence
Drinking behavior
Drug addiction
Drug dependence
Female
Flushing
Flushing - epidemiology
Flushing - etiology
Humans
Male
Males
Mediators
Nicotine
Population
Questionnaires
Regression analysis
Smoke
Smoking
Validity
Variables
Womens health
Young Adult
Young adults
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Summary:Association between drinking and smoking has remained controversial since the association between two studies were influenced by various confounding. Thus, our study aimed to explore the causal effect of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking using alcohol flushing as an instrument variable, which is free from confounders. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data from 2500 Korean young adults (1600 men and 900 women). Alcohol flushing was strongly associated with log transformed alcohol consumption (F = 272). In men, alcohol non-flushers were 1.41 times (95% CI 1.28-1.55) more likely to smoke 100 cigarettes in their lifetime in logistic regression analysis. Alcohol non-flushers were also 1.3 times (95% CI 1.21-1.40) more likely to become daily smokers and 1.39 times (95% CI 1.27-1.51) more likely to be current smokers than alcohol flushers. However, in an IV analysis, no causal relationships between alcohol consumption and smoking status were found. Alcohol consumption, on the other hand, was causally associated with lowering nicotine dependence and former smoking in men. Alcohol consumption determined by alcohol flushing status does not appear to be causally linked to the smoking behavior of young adults. The relationship between alcohol consumption and nicotine dependence and smoking cessation needs further study.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph182111392