Sara C Hitchman1, Geoffrey T Fong2, Mark P Zanna3, James F Thrasher4, Janet Chung-Hall3, Mohammad Siahpush5. 1. Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8BB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: sara.hitchman@kcl.ac.uk. 2. School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1; Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1L7. 3. Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1. 4. Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, United States. 5. College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 984365 Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha, NE 68198-4355, United States.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Smoking rates are higher among low socioeconomic (SES) groups, and there is evidence that inequalities in smoking are widening over time in many countries. Low SES smokers may be more likely to smoke and less likely to quit because smoking is heavily concentrated in their social contexts. This study investigated whether low SES smokers (1) have more smoking friends, and (2) are more likely to gain and less likely to lose smoking friends over time. Correlates of having more smoking friends and gaining or losing smoking friends were also considered. METHOD: Respondents included 6321 adult current smokers (at recruitment) from Wave 1 (2002) and Wave 2 (2003) of the International Tobacco Control Project (ITC) Four Country Survey, a nationally representative longitudinal cohort survey of smokers in Australia, Canada, UK, and US. RESULTS: Low SES smokers reported more smoking friends than moderate and high SES smokers. Low SES smokers were also more likely to gain smoking friends over time compared with high SES smokers. Smokers who were male, younger, and lived with other smokers reported more smoking friends, and were also more likely to gain and less likely to lose smoking friends. Smoking behaviours, such as higher nicotine dependence were related to reporting more smoking friends, but not to losing or gain smoking friends. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is highly concentrated in the social networks of lower SES smokers and this concentration may be increasing over time. Cessation interventions should consider how the structure of low SES smokers' social networks affects quitting.
BACKGROUND: Smoking rates are higher among low socioeconomic (SES) groups, and there is evidence that inequalities in smoking are widening over time in many countries. Low SES smokers may be more likely to smoke and less likely to quit because smoking is heavily concentrated in their social contexts. This study investigated whether low SES smokers (1) have more smoking friends, and (2) are more likely to gain and less likely to lose smoking friends over time. Correlates of having more smoking friends and gaining or losing smoking friends were also considered. METHOD: Respondents included 6321 adult current smokers (at recruitment) from Wave 1 (2002) and Wave 2 (2003) of the International Tobacco Control Project (ITC) Four Country Survey, a nationally representative longitudinal cohort survey of smokers in Australia, Canada, UK, and US. RESULTS: Low SES smokers reported more smoking friends than moderate and high SES smokers. Low SES smokers were also more likely to gain smoking friends over time compared with high SES smokers. Smokers who were male, younger, and lived with other smokers reported more smoking friends, and were also more likely to gain and less likely to lose smoking friends. Smoking behaviours, such as higher nicotine dependence were related to reporting more smoking friends, but not to losing or gain smoking friends. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is highly concentrated in the social networks of lower SES smokers and this concentration may be increasing over time. Cessation interventions should consider how the structure of low SES smokers' social networks affects quitting.
Authors: M E Thompson; G T Fong; D Hammond; C Boudreau; P Driezen; A Hyland; R Borland; K M Cummings; G B Hastings; M Siahpush; A M Mackintosh; F L Laux Journal: Tob Control Date: 2006-06 Impact factor: 7.552
Authors: A E Cavelaars; A E Kunst; J J Geurts; R Crialesi; L Grötvedt; U Helmert; E Lahelma; O Lundberg; J Matheson; A Mielck; N K Rasmussen; E Regidor; M do Rosário-Giraldes; T Spuhler; J P Mackenbach Journal: BMJ Date: 2000-04-22
Authors: Sarah Aleyan; Katherine East; Ann McNeill; K Michael Cummings; Geoffrey T Fong; Hua-Hie Yong; James F Thrasher; Ron Borland; Sara C Hitchman Journal: Addiction Date: 2019-06-18 Impact factor: 6.526
Authors: Bulent Gorenek; Antonio Pelliccia; Emelia J Benjamin; Giuseppe Boriani; Harry J Crijns; Richard I Fogel; Isabelle C Van Gelder; Martin Halle; Gulmira Kudaiberdieva; Deirdre A Lane; Torben Bjerregaard Larsen; Gregory Y H Lip; Maja-Lisa Løchen; Francisco Marin; Josef Niebauer; Prashanthan Sanders; Lale Tokgozoglu; Marc A Vos; David R Van Wagoner; Laurent Fauchier; Irina Savelieva; Andreas Goette; Stefan Agewall; Chern-En Chiang; Márcio Figueiredo; Martin Stiles; Timm Dickfeld; Kristen Patton; Massimo Piepoli; Ugo Corra; Pedro Manuel Marques-Vidal; Pompilio Faggiano; Jean-Paul Schmid; Ana Abreu Journal: Eur J Prev Cardiol Date: 2016-11-04 Impact factor: 7.804
Authors: Bulent Gorenek; Antonio Pelliccia; Emelia J Benjamin; Giuseppe Boriani; Harry J Crijns; Richard I Fogel; Isabelle C Van Gelder; Martin Halle; Gulmira Kudaiberdieva; Deirdre A Lane; Torben Bjerregaard Larsen; Gregory Y H Lip; Maja-Lisa Løchen; Francisco Marín; Josef Niebauer; Prashanthan Sanders; Lale Tokgozoglu; Marc A Vos; David R Van Wagoner; Laurent Fauchier; Irina Savelieva; Andreas Goette; Stefan Agewall; Chern-En Chiang; Márcio Figueiredo; Martin Stiles; Timm Dickfeld; Kristen Patton; Massimo Piepoli; Ugo Corra; Pedro Manuel Marques-Vidal; Pompilio Faggiano; Jean-Paul Schmid; Ana Abreu Journal: Europace Date: 2017-02-01 Impact factor: 5.214
Authors: Jennifer B Unger; Frank J Chaloupka; Donna Vallone; James F Thrasher; Destiney S Nettles; Tabitha P Hendershot; Gary E Swan Journal: Tob Control Date: 2020-01 Impact factor: 7.552
Authors: Robert M Anthenelli; Jaimee L Heffner; Esther Wong; Jessie Tibbs; Katie Russell; Melodie Isgro; Elizabeth Dinh; Chris Wehrle; Matthew J Worley; Neal Doran Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2016-12-28 Impact factor: 3.455