Influence of Social Connections on Smoking Behavior across the Life Course

• In Event: 4266 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: 1. Aging Theory

Abstract

Although we know much about demographic patterns of smoking, we know less about people’s explanations for why and how they avoid, develop, or alter smoking habits and how these explanations are linked to social connections across the life course. We analyze data from in-depth interviews with 60 adults aged 25-89 to consider how social connections shape both smoking behaviors and the meaning of smoking across the life course. Respondents provided explanations for how they avoided, initiated, persisted, and/or quit smoking. At various times, social connections were viewed as having both positive and negative influences on smoking habits. Those who never smoked and continuous smokers pointed to the importance of early life social connections in shaping decisions to smoke or not smoke, but viewed later connections (e.g., marriage, coworkers) as less important. For people who quit smoking or relapsed, decisions to quit—or attempt to quit—were more strongly related to social connections in adulthood rather than early life connections. A qualitative approach together with a life course perspective directs attention to interrelated social pathways shaping smoking behavior, pathways that may shift across the life course and that are primarily connected to social relationships. Our findings offer insight about how to design successful interventions that take into account the pivotal role of social connections in shaping trajectories of smoking behavior throughout the life course.

Authors

• Mieke Beth Thomeer, University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Elaine Marie Hernandez, Indiana University

• Patricia A. Thomas, Purdue University

• Debra Umberson, The University of Texas at Austin