ABSTRACT
a- To describe the distribution of smoking habit among the attendants of Al-Yarmok centre b- To measure the strength of association between smoking and chronic diseases such as hypertension, ischaemic heart diseases, chronic obstructive airway disease and peptic ulcer. Design: Case control study using paired sampling with individual matching. Setting and period of study: The sample of study was collected in Al-Yarmok health centre in Mosul during July 1994. Participants: The attendants of the age 20 years and more, of both sexes complaining of hypertension, ischaemic heart diseases, chronic obstructive airway disease and peptic ulcer; [1035] cases and [1035] controls were collected during the study period. Main outcome measures: A questionnaire containing age, sex, smoking habit, development of diseases during one month before the study and the presence of diseases at time of study. It was observed that 44.4% of the samples were smokers, 38% were non- smokers and 17.6% were ex-smokers. Smoking habit was increasing as the age increases. Half of the males and one third of the females in the sample were smokers. The incidence of gastric upset, influenza, backache and headache were higher among the smokers and ex-smokers compared with the non- smokers. There was a very highly statistical and a strong association between smoking and ischaemic heart disease and chronic obstructive airway disease. Peptic ulcer was statistically and strongly related to smoking. Hypertension in our study did not show any statistical or strong relationship with smoking. Smoking is associated and strongly related to ischaemic heart diseases, chronic obstructive airway disease and peptic ulcer