No abstract available.
Adolescent ; Cotinine ; Humans ; Tobacco

Objectives: The reliability of surveys on smoking habits based on questionnaires was investigated, using the urinary cotinine content as an objective index. Methods: The subjects tested were 2,849 office workers of middle age, who responded to questions concerning their smoking status, and also their urinary cotinine was measured by the HPLC method. Results: The boundary value between smokers and non-smokers, determined by the histogram independent of the questionnaire, was 63.1 and 79.4 ng/mg of creatinine for males and females, respectively. The rate of misclassification of the non-smokers and former smokers as smokers was 1.3% for males and 1.8% for females, whereas that of current smokers as non-smokers was 6.3% and 2.1%. We also assessed the effect of smoke inhalation on the urinary cotinine value, and found a significant difference for males in the cotinine value by the presence of inhalation and also its depth. Conclusions: The rate of misclassification in this study was considered to be comparatively low. Several studies have also assessed the reliability of the questionnaire on smoking habits, and found different misclassification rates, indicating the dependence on the race and number of subjects tested. To our knowledge, there were only a few surveys on smoking among large groups, particularly in Japan, such as this one, therefore the results obtained in this study are meaningful.
Smoking ; Cotinine ; Indexes ; seconds ; Urine

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and the urine cotinine concentrations in Korean adolescents. METHODS: The study population was 1st grade high school adolescents (n = 1467, girls 22.2%) recruited from four high schools, two from Seoul, one from Kangleung and one from Woolsan. We obtained information on active smoking and ETS exposure through self-reported questionnaire and urine cotinine concentrations. RESULTS: The prevalence of active smoking was 6.9% in boys and 0.9% in girls. Median urine cotinine concentrations were 19.5 microgram/L (range, 0-2341 microgram/L) among smokers, and 0 microgram/L (range, 0-1359 microgram/L) among nonsmokers. The positive rate of urine cotinine among nonsmokers exposed to ETS was 2.9%. Boys were exposed to ETS in the order of frequency in PC room (79.6%), home (39.4%), school (11.5%), and public places (5.9%); girls were exposed in the order of frequency in home (40.9%), PC room (33.2%), public places (28.0%), and school (15.2%). The frequency and duration of ETS exposure were significantly larger and longer in boys than in girls. Boys contacted friends who smoked more than girls did (32.6% vs. 17.1%). Parents; smoking status was similar both in boys and girls. Any information on ETS exposure did not differ according to the detectable urine cotinine among nonsmoking adolescents. CONCLUSION: Low positive rate of urine cotinine and no association of urine cotinine with various ETS exposure history reflect that urine cotinine may not be a good marker for ETS exposure in Korean adolescents.
Adolescent ; Cotinine ; Friends ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Cotinine, a nicotine metabolite detected in urine, has been recommended as the best quantitative marker of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between indoor ETS and urinary cotinine level of the passive smokers. METHODS: We selected 42 nonsmokers who lived in Seoul and were not exposed to passive smoking at least 5 days before test. Urinary cotinine levels were measured by Smokescreen Colorimeter (Surescreen Diagnostics LTD, U.K.). We measured urinary cotinine levels twice (before and after smoking exposure). RESULTS: The mean urinary cotinine level was 0.33microgram/mL before smoking exposure, and 0.46microgram/mL after smoking exposure. There was statistically significant difference (P-value=0.003). There was no significant difference between exposure time and increase of urinary cotinine level(P=0.138, r=-0.233). There was also no significant difference between measuring time taking after exposure and increase of urinary cotinine level (P=0.671, r=0.067). CONCLUSION: One experience of indoor exposure to ETS caused significant elevation of urinary cotinine level.
Cotinine* ; Nicotine ; Seoul ; Smoke* ; Smoking ; Tobacco ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution

BACKGROUND: Cotinine, a nicotine metabolite detected in urine, has been recommended as the best quantitative marker of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between indoor ETS and urinary cotinine level of the passive smokers. METHODS: We selected 42 nonsmokers who lived in Seoul and were not exposed to passive smoking at least 5 days before test. Urinary cotinine levels were measured by Smokescreen Colorimeter (Surescreen Diagnostics LTD, U.K.). We measured urinary cotinine levels twice (before and after smoking exposure). RESULTS: The mean urinary cotinine level was 0.33microgram/mL before smoking exposure, and 0.46microgram/mL after smoking exposure. There was statistically significant difference (P-value=0.003). There was no significant difference between exposure time and increase of urinary cotinine level(P=0.138, r=-0.233). There was also no significant difference between measuring time taking after exposure and increase of urinary cotinine level (P=0.671, r=0.067). CONCLUSION: One experience of indoor exposure to ETS caused significant elevation of urinary cotinine level.
Cotinine* ; Nicotine ; Seoul ; Smoke* ; Smoking ; Tobacco ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of young people go to clubs. In Korea, however, no studies have been conducted regarding the exposure of club patrons to secondhand smoke. The present study was conducted to evaluate the degree of club customers' exposure to secondhand smoke. METHODS: The study subjects included 10 male and 12 female non-smokers. The investigational site was a club located in Daegu. Urine samples were collected before exposure to secondhand smoke in the club and 6 hours after a 3-hour exposure. The urine cotinine levels were measured via the LC-MS/MS method. A survey was conducted to collect data regarding the subjects' smoking experiences and the degree of exposure to secondhand smoke in their daily lives. RESULTS: The average urine cotinine level increased from 1.09 microg/L to 5.55 microg/L (p<0.05). No significant difference existed in the change in urine cotinine level between the male and female subjects. In addition, there was no significant difference in the change in urine cotinine level by the degree of exposure to secondhand smoke in daily life. CONCLUSIONS: The average urine cotinine level in all the subjects significantly increased after exposure to secondhand smoke. This is the first study on exposure to secondhand smoke in clubs; these results can be used to craft measures that reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in public places, such as clubs.
Cotinine ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of a program to improve self-esteem and smoking cessation self-efficiency on smoking high school students' self-esteem, smoking cessation self-efficiency, amount of smoking, cotinine in urine, and carbon monoxide while exhalation. METHODS: This research was conducted as a quasi-experimental pretest and posttest control and experimental group methodological comparison study. The subjects were 45 smoking high school students (Exp.=22, Cont.=23) in U City. Data were collected from October 19 to December 7, 2010, and analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program by frequency, Mann-Whitney test, means, standard deviations, and Willcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: After the treatment, those belonging to the experimental group showed significantly increased self-esteem and smoking cessation self-efficacy and also showed decreased amount of smoking, cotinine in urine, and carbon monoxide while exhalation compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The self-esteem and smoking cessation self-efficacy improvement program was effective in improving self-esteem and smoking cessation self-efficacy and in diminishing the amount of smoking, cotinine in urine and carbon monoxide while exhalation. Therefore, this program is recommended as a smoking cessation strategy for smoking adolescents.
Adolescent ; Carbon Monoxide ; Cotinine ; Exhalation ; Humans ; Self Concept ; Self Efficacy ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a smoking cessation program using self-regulated learning strategy as an approach for middle-school boys to stop smoking. METHODS: A one group time series study was utilized for the purpose of this study. A five-week smoking cessation program, based on the self-regulated learning strategy of Zimmerman (1989), was provided to 15 middle-school boys who were smokers. Data were collected from July to September, 2008 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, and nonparametric test, Friedman, 2 related samples with SPSS/WIN 14.0 program. RESULTS: Following the intervention, the participants showed significant differences on self-regulatory efficacy, cons of smoking, stage of smoking behavior change, nicotine dependency, urine cotinine levels, and CO expiration levels compared to those at pretest and those differences remained at 5 months after the intervention, except cons of smoking. CONCLUSION: This study suggest that the smoking cessation program using self-regulated learning strategy is effective for smoking cessation in middle-school boys and those smoking cessation behaviors remained for up to 5 months after the completion of the intervention. Broad application of the program would be beneficial for teenagers who smoke.
Adolescent ; Analysis of Variance ; Cotinine ; Humans ; Learning* ; Nicotine ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation*

OBJECTIVES: The Korea Health Promotion Foundation has performed the None-Smoking Project using the Quit-Smoking Clinics in all health care centers. The success rate of quitting smoking in the Quit-Smoking Clinics have run over 40% in the self-reports. The aim of this study was to assess the success rate of quitting smoking using the nicotine and cotinine concentrations in saliva and to find out the factors that influence the success of quitting smoking. METHODS: The author collected the data of 122 participants from the Quit-Smoking Clinic in the city of Daejeon and the data 13 nonsmokers as control after their written consent in 2009-2010. Following the initial visit, the unstimulated saliva samples were collcted at the visits after 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months and 6. The concentrations of nicotine, cotinine, and OH-cotinine were analyzed using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The cutoff for the cotinine concentration that distinguished the smokers from nonsmokers was set at 10 ng/ml. RESULTS: The baseline participants who visited the clinic were 84 paritcipants after 2 weeks, 65 after 2 months, 40 after 4 months, and 22 after 6 months. The median concentrations of cotinine (P=0.017) and OH-cotinine (P<0.001) decreased over time. The success rates of quitting smoking were calculated at 32.1% after 2 weeks, 41.5% after 2 months, 42.5% after 4 months, and 50.0% after 6 months, in the participants who returned to the clinic. The Cotinine level after 2 weeks correlated high-positively to the concentration of that over time (r>0.7). The amount of smoking in a day, the period of smoking, and the total amount of smoking did not correlate to the success of quitting smoking as measured in the cotinine level. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the limitation of the high drop out rate in the participants, it was suggested that the active intervention at 2 weeks could make the success rate of quitting smoking higher, as the cotinine level at 2 weeks correlated to the concentrations after that point very positively.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Cotinine ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Promotion ; Korea ; Nicotine ; Saliva ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between self-reported exposure status to second-hand smoke and urinary cotinine level in pregnant nonsmokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited pregnant nonsmokers from the prenatal care clinics of a university hospital and two community health centers, and their urinary cotinine concentrations were measured. RESULTS: Among a total of 412 pregnant nonsmokers, the proportions of self-reported exposure to second-hand smoke and positive urinary cotinine level were 60.4% and 3.4%, respectively. Among those, 4.8% of the participants who reported exposure to second-hand smoke had cotinine levels of 40 ng/mL (the kappa value = 0.029, p = 0.049). Among those who reported living with smokers (n = 170), "smoking currently permitted in the whole house" (vs. not permitted at home) was associated with positive urinary cotinine in the univariable analysis. Furthermore, this variable showed a significant association with positive urinary cotinine in the stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis [Odds ratio (OR), 15.6; 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 2.1-115.4]. CONCLUSION: In the current study, the association between self-reported exposure status to second-hand smoke and positive urinary cotinine in pregnant nonsmokers was poor. "Smoking currently permitted in the whole house" was a significant factor of positive urinary cotinine in pregnant nonsmokers. Furthermore, we suggest that a complete smoking ban at home should be considered to avoid potential adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes due to second-hand smoke.
Adult ; Cotinine/*urine ; *Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Regression Analysis ; *Tobacco Smoke Pollution