title: The relation between social cohesion and smoking cessation among Black smokers, and the potential role of psychosocial mediators.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social cohesion, the self-reported trust and connectedness between neighbors, may affect health behaviors via psychosocial mechanisms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Relations between individual perceptions of social cohesion and smoking cessation were examined among 397 Black treatment-seeking smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Continuation ratio logit models examined the relation of social cohesion and biochemically verified continuous smoking abstinence through 6 months post-quit. Indirect effects were examined in single mediator models using a nonparametric bootstrapping procedure. All analyses controlled for sociodemographics, tobacco dependence, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total effect of social cohesion on continuous abstinence was non-significant (β = 0.05, p = 0.10). However, social cohesion was associated with social support, positive affect, negative affect, and stress, which, in turn, were each associated with abstinence in adjusted models (ps < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that social cohesion may facilitate smoking cessation among Black smokers through desirable effects on psychosocial mechanisms that can result from living in a community with strong interpersonal connections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Disparities Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1440, P.O. Box 301402, Houston, TX 77230, USA. Lrreitze@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Lorraine R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Reitzel
authors.forename: Darla E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kendzor
authors.forename: Yessenia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Yumei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Micheal S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Businelle
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mazas
authors.forename: Ludmila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cofta-Woerpel
authors.forename: Yisheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Cinciripini
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wetter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology