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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
It’s Never Too Late to Quit Smoking and at
Retirement Looks Promising
English researchers say point of retirement is one of
the most effective times for many healthy improvements
 March 6, 2008 - Many people spend a lifetime trying
to give up smoking, but there is good news for older smokers from
research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in South West
England. It may work best as part of a healthy retirement.
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A study by Dr. Iain Lang and his colleagues has
revealed that the point of retirement is one of the most effective times
to try to give up smoking. The study followed 1712 smokers aged 50 years
and older over a six-year period, taking into account their work status
(whether an individual was working or retired) and smoking status
(whether a non-smoker or smoker).
The research showed that a total of 42.5 per cent
of those who had recently retired had quit smoking, compared with 29.3
per cent of those in employment and 30.2 per cent for those who were
already retired.
The results indicate those who undergo the
transition into retirement are more likely to quit smoking than those
who do not.
“Retirement is one of the great transitions in
life, which is why a greater proportion of people may find it easier to
make significant changes elsewhere in their lives at this time,” said
Dr. Lang.
“Retirement is a point of life at which people have
a whole range of opportunities to do things they haven’t previously felt
able to do. We are excited at the possibility that what we have seen
with smoking may also apply to other aspects of lifestyle, like eating
more healthily and doing more exercise.
“That would be a great result not just for the
health of the individual but also because it would relieve some of the
pressure placed upon the NHS by an ageing population.”
The researcher added, “However, anyone who isn’t
planning to retire just yet shouldn’t put off quitting. The sooner you
quit the sooner you will experience the benefits – when it comes to
stopping smoking there’s no time like the present!”
The Peninsula Medical School team also suggests
that employers who are putting together retirement training for their
staff should also include guidance about how to have a healthy
retirement.
Dr Lang stated: “We would also like to see more
employers use retirement as a catalyst for supporting the ongoing health
of their retired employees. Preparing them for a healthy retirement is
good HR policy – and quitting smoking will be an important part of
that.”
Notes:
The Peninsula Medical School is a joint entity of
the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and the NHS in the
South West of England, and a partner of the Combined Universities in
Cornwall. The Peninsula Medical School has created for itself an
excellent national and international reputation for groundbreaking
research in the areas of diabetes and obesity, neurological disease,
child development and ageing, clinical education and health technology
assessment. -
The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
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