Gender Differences in Cancer by Smoking Behavior: A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003--2010 Study

• Activity Number: 86
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Sunday, July 29, 2012 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistics in Epidemiology
• Author(s): Sunita Ghosh*+
• Companies: Alberta Health Services Cancer Care
• Keywords: Smoking ; Cancer ; GEE ; NHANES ; Gender ; Complex Survey

Abstract

Smoking is known to affect males and females differently. Females being more sensitive than males are adversely affected by cigarette smoking. The present study explores the affect of cigarette smoking and cancer by gender. Health professional diagnosed cancer or other malignancy was used to define respondents affected by cancer. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from the year 2003 to 2010 was used for the purpose of analysis. Smoking history and other factors known to be associated with cancer: age and exposure to second hand smoke were also examined. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used as NHANES data set uses a complex survey design, and to obtain unbiased standard errors, the method should account for the stratification, clustering and unequal weighting. The results of the analysis suggest that smoking is positively associated with risk of cancer, and females are at higher risk compared to men. The results of the present study confirm our hypothesis that cigarette smoking is positively associated with cancer among women when compared to men.