RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Smoking represents an ever-increasing problem of public health in the world, the impact of which is actually rising. The majority of smokers wish to stop smoking one day. This fact is one of the major acts leading to a better health and wellbeing. In the eighties, the lung age was already mentioned by Morris and Temple, a further tool motivating tobacco cessation. AIM: To determine the lung age of a population of workers and to evaluate the impact of its announcement on the smoking behavior. METHODS: It is a prospective study realized during a year (November 2010-November 2011) in a wire enterprise LEONI in Sousse (Tunisia), during an intervention program. 35 adult smokers were concerned by our study. A measurement of the breathing function by "Néo6" and a calculation of the lung age were practiced on all smokers. RESULTS: 35 smoking men (mean ± SD age of 36 ± 7 years, 27 and 28 smokers have, respectively, a high socio-economic level and a high schooling level) were included. The number of daily cigarettes consumed was from 5 to 40. The measurement of the smokers' respiratory function by the "Neo 6" did not show a pulmonary function defect. The lung age was of 45 ±13 years, significantly higher than the chronological age. The evaluation of the announcement of the lung age, realized one year after, showed that 8 among the 35 workers have stopped smoking and 7 smokers have reduced their tobacco consumption. CONCLUSION: Communicating the lung age results is an additional tool motivating tobacco cessation.
