Prevalence of bereavement among current smokers in a state-wide cross-sectional surveillance survey.

introductionResearch consistently shows that bereavement is associated with subsequent poor self-rated health. In a separate line of research, smoking is common among persons with a mental illness diagnosis. In a population-based survey, the following three hypotheses are tested: 1) Compared to non-smokers, smokers are not more likely to report bereavement; 2) Among the bereaved, demographic factors - gender, race, and age - do not influence the likelihood of being a current smoker; and 3) Smoking does not influence or mediate the effect of bereavement on poor self-rated health.

methodsThe sample consisted of 7354 respondents to the annual 2019 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Multiple imputation, descriptive analysis, ordered logistic regression, and mediation models were used.

resultsWith imputed datasets, we found that bereavement rates were higher among every day (52.2%) compared to former smokers (46.4%) and never smokers (43.3%). Bereaved persons who smoke are also more likely to report heavy drinking: females (OR=3.92; 95% CI: 2.96-5.18) and males (OR=3.64; 95% CI: 2.72-4.86). Bereavement rates are highest among males who report smoking some days (OR=52.7; 95% CI: 44.4-61.0) and among females who report smoking every day (OR=56.77; 95% CI: 50.9-62.7).

conclusionsAmong all current smokers, bereavement is highly prevalent. However, gender, smoking and grief have a complex association. Bereaved female smokers typically smoke every day while bereaved male smokers on some days. Any bereaved smoker may benefit from cessation treatment to reduce health decline after loss.