Men’s Smoking Trajectories and Health-Related Quality of Life in the Whole Family: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the latent smoking classes in men and their association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of themselves, their wives and offspring. METHODS: Using Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS), 1781 men with marital stability and 8–18-year-old offspring were followed for 15 years (1999–2014). Latent class growth modeling (LCGM) was used to identify men’s smoking patterns in 1139 men with at least three non-missing measurements of cigarettes per day (CPD); they had 1908 children (8–18 years at baseline). HRQoL and its physical and mental component summaries (PCS and MCS) was measured at the last follow-up using the SF-12v2 questionnaire. The associations of men’s smoking classes with HRQoL of the family members were examined using generalized linear model. RESULTS: LCGM revealed four trajectories for men’s smoking patterns; non/rare smokers, decreasing light, persistent moderate smokers, and persistent heavy smokers. Persistent smoking men, regardless of the amount of smoking (light or heavy), had lower scores in general health (ß= −7.80 for moderate and ß= −10.71 for heavy class) but not overall PCS. Al three trajectories of smoker men had poorer overall MCS than non/rare smokers. Living with persistent heavy smoker men was associated with decreased overall MCS in women (ß= −4.20), in particular role emotional (ß= −8.82) and mental health (ß= −9.42). No significant association was detected between fathers’ smoking patterns and offspring HRQoL in young adulthood. CONCLUSION: Our results show men’s heavy and persistent smoking worsens their own and their spouses’ HRQoL, mainly in mental health dimensions.