People married to smokers may have increased health risk as much from their poor eating habits as from exposure to second-hand smoke, according to a new study.

"Nonsmoking spouses of smokers have dietary intakes reflective of smokers themselves," which is to say not good, says lead author Jeffery S. Hampl, Ph.D., R.D., of Arizona State University, writing in the September/October issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Along with the health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, "nonsmoking men and women married to smokers may have an exacerbated risk of disease due to unhealthy dietary choices," says Hampl.

Second-hand smoke is estimated to account for 17 percent to 24 percent of lung cancer cases and nearly 40,000 heart disease deaths a year. Much of this death and disease is hypothesized to be due to damage by the high concentration of free radicals to which these nonsmokers, like their smoking spouses, are exposed.

Smokers are exposed to such high doses of free radicals that their diet likely has relatively little effect on their already increased risk of chronic diseases, such as congestive heart failure and lung cancer. By comparison, in nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke, dietary factors may contribute substantially to their risk of heart disease, lung cancer and other chronic diseases.

Research has shown a convincing association between exposure to second-hand smoke and a similar, but lower level, of risk of the diseases seen in smokers. However, previous studies have not taken into account poorer diets or other lifestyle and socioeconomic factors that may also be involved in risk of disease in these nonsmokers, Hampl says.

This study showed that nonsmoking men who lived with smokers consumed more fat and cholesterol, and less fiber, calcium and vitamin A than nonsmoking men who lived with nonsmokers. Nonsmoking women who lived with smokers consumed relatively more total and saturated fat and had less fiber, vitamin A and folate in their diet than nonsmoking women who lived with nonsmokers, the researchers say.

The men living with smokers consumed more alcohol, coffee, soft drinks and nuts, while eating less yogurt, butter or margarine, condiments and fruit drinks than the men living with nonsmokers. The women living with smokers ate more cheese and table sweeteners and drank less water than the women living with nonsmokers.

The study included data on more than 450 nonsmoking men and women married to smokers and more than 1,500 nonsmoking men and women married to nonsmokers. The data were derived from a three-year survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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The American Journal of Health Promotion is a bimonthly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the field of health promotion. For information about the journal call (248) 682-0707 or visit the journal’s web site at www.healthpromotionjournal.com.