Abstract:
This study investigates the effect of serious health events including new diagnoses of heart
attacks, strokes, cancers, chronic lung disease, chronic heart failure, diabetes, and heart disease
on future smoking status up to six years post event. Data come from the Health and Retirement
Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of Americans aged 51-61 in 1991,
followed every 2 years from 1992 to 1998. Smoking status is evaluated at each of three followups,
(1994, 1996, and 1998) as a function of health events between each of the four waves.
Acute and chronic health events are associated with much lower likelihood of smoking both in
the wave immediately following the event and up to six years later. However, future events do
not retrospectively predict past cessation. In sum, serious health events have substantial impacts
on cessation rates of older smokers. Notably, these effects persist for as much as six years after a
health event.
