Senior author S. V. Subramanian used data from the National Family Health Survey, a representative cross-sectional survey administered in India from 1998 to 1999 that includes 89,092 women and 278,977 family members age 15 and older.

The researchers found that for women who had been married, 19 percent reported incidents of abuse from husbands.

The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, found that women who reported past and current abuse had 20 percent to 40 percent increased odds of tobacco use compared with women reporting no abuse -- even after controlling for factors such as income and education level.

The study also found that smoking risk increased for any adult in households where domestic violence was prevalent, regardless of whether they were a victim, a perpetrator or neither.

Lead author Leland Ackerson said smaller U.S. studies have also found an association between domestic violence and smoking. The study researchers hypothesize that smoking may act as a "stress reliever" in households that experience domestic violence.