Present study was conducted to investigate smoking status and the relationship of
smoking to symptoms of respiratory system and some diseases on 210 tuberculosis
patients registered at Chest Clinic, Gyeong Bug Branch, Korean National Tuberculosis
Association, during the period of 3 months from September to November 1980.
The results obtained are summerized as follows: of 210 patients, the rates of smokers
and ex-smokers were 33.3 percent and 31.9 percent respectively.
The percentage of males smoking showed 41.4, while the percentage of females was
9.4.
The frequency of symptoms of respiratory system such as cough, sputum and
dyspnea was higher in smokers compared to non-smokers. There was no statistically
significant differences between the smokers and the non-smokers in the prevalenec of
chronic diseases such as chronic bronchitis, gastric ulcer, and liver disease except
common cold.
In regard to the size of pulmonary tuberculosis lesion, the rate of smoking was lower
in the far-advanced cases than in minimal cases.
The average daily amount of smoking was more in the moderately advanced and
far-advanced cases compared to minimal cases. Far advanced cases were in the group
with more than half of family members of patient who smoked. Improvement rate of
tuberculosis was the highest in the group with all the family members of patient who
did not smoke. In the awareness of harmfulness of smoking, the 85.2 percent of patients
were aware of harmfulness of smoking. Most of the ex-smokers stopped smoking after
attack of pulmonary tuberculosis. In the attitude toward smoking in the future, 70
percent of all the patients expressed their intention to stop slacking, especially 90.9
percent of far-advanced cases wanted to stop smoking.
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