Statistical Measure Of Association Between Smoking And Lung Cancer In Abakaliki, Ebonyi State Nigeria

Abstract

The hazards of smoking in relation to lung cancer can never be over emphasized. In recent times shortly after Ebonyi State was created in 1996, the capital territory has increasingly been polluted by either quarry operators, motorcycle (Okada) riders or reckless cigarette smokers and bush burning. To investigate the havoc caused by all these on people, questionnaire was distributed among smokers and non smokers in various areas of specialization and habitations. In measuring the significance of association and the degree of association, a χ²; test and odds ratio method of analysis was employed. The result of the analysis showed that non- smokers do suffer lung cancer. It also revealed that the chances of a smoker to have lung cancer is 1.765 times higher than that of a non- smoker. Analysis also showed that lung cancer depends on age of smokers. It was later discovered that middle aged population are mostly affected, by the reason of χ²; partitioning. This research recommends that proper disposal of smoke by industrialists should be encouraged. In addition, there should be a legislation of indecent smoking habit. The purpose of this work is to measure the association between smoking and lung a cancer in a Nigerian population where Abakaliki Urban is taken as sampled populatio.