Better Off Alone Than With a Smoker: The Influence of Partner's Smoking Behavior in Later Life.

TitleBetter Off Alone Than With a Smoker: The Influence of Partner's Smoking Behavior in Later Life.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsMargolis, R, Wright, L
JournalJ Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci
Volume71
Issue4
Pagination687-97
Date Published2016 Jul
ISSN Number1758-5368
KeywordsAged, Female, Health Behavior, Humans, Logistic Models, Male, Marital Status, Middle Aged, Motivation, Single Person, Smoking, Smoking cessation, Spouses
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We examine how the likelihood of smoking cessation among smokers and patterns of adherence to smoking cessation differ by partnership status, partnership changes, and partners' smoking behavior. The data are a nationally representative sample of smokers in middle and older age from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2010).

METHOD: We use multivariate logistic regression models to analyze the likelihood of smoking cessation among smokers and then estimate adherence to smoking cessation using discrete-time event history models.

RESULTS: Those partnered with smokers and those whose partners relapse into smoking are much less likely than the unpartnered to quit smoking and adhere to smoking cessation. Respondents partnered with non-smokers and those whose partners quit smoking are more likely to quit smoking than the unpartnered. Those recently widowed, divorced, and repartnered have similar smoking changes to the consistently unpartnered.

DISCUSSION: Being partnered does not always mean healthier behavior changes. Rather, the association between partnership status and smoking changes depends greatly on the health behavior changes of the partner. The partnership context at the time of smoking cessation sets the stage for longer term patterns of adherence, shaping health in older age.

URLhttp://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/02/17/geronb.gbu220.abstract
DOI10.1093/geronb/gbu220
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25693998?dopt=Abstract

Alternate JournalJ Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci
Citation Key6446
PubMed ID25693998
PubMed Central IDPMC4903033
Grant ListT32 HD007242 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
R24 HD044964 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
T32 AG000177 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States