Open AccessSaliva thiocyanate: a chemical indicator of cigarette smoking in adolescents.
Author(s) -
Russell V. Luepker,
Terry F. Pechacek,
David M. Murray,
C. Anderson Johnson,
F. Hund,
David R. Jacobs
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.71.12.1320
Subject(s) - saliva , thiocyanate , medicine , cigarette smoking , denial , chemistry , psychology , biochemistry , psychoanalysis
Denial and minimization in self-reports of cigarette smoking are probable common among youth and other groups where smoking is discouraged. Chemical measures may obtain more accurate measurement of smoking habits in those groups. One such measure, saliva thiocyanate (SCN), was evaluated in 1,419 eighth grade students. In that group, 54.9% of students admitted to regular smoking of greater than one pack/week had thiocyanates greater than or equal to 100 m g/ml compared to 2.3% nonsmokers at those levels. Of students who smoked greater than or equal to 10 cigarettes in the prior 24 hours, 66.7% were at or above 100 microgram/ml. Elevated SCN in nonsmokers was uncommon. Saliva SCN is a safe, inexpensive, and acceptable prevalence measurement for cigarette smoking. It can be used in place of self-reports to document smoking of greater than on pack/week in populations of youth.