title: The association between perceived social support and continued smoking in cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With the increased survival rate of cancer patients, positive changes in health behaviors, including smoking cessation, are becoming progressively more important. While studies in the general population have demonstrated the beneficial effects of high perceived support of smoking cessation and continuing abstinence, few studies have addressed such issues in cancer survivors. We examined the factors related to continued smoking among cancer survivors with specific attention given to the role of perceived social support.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide, multicenter survey was conducted with 1956 cancer patients. Smoking status at the time of diagnosis and at the time of survey, and perceived social support, as measured by the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, were collected by self-reported questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 493 participants who were smoking at the time of cancer diagnosis, 131 (26.6%) were continued smokers at the time of survey. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, current alcohol consumption (odds ratio, 3.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.91-5.65), early cancer stage (P(for trend)< 0.01), lung cancer diagnosis (odds ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.88), and high perceived social support (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.96) showed significant associations with continued smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancer survivors with low perceived social support were more likely to continue smoking. Our study suggests that perceived social support may be an important factor for smoking cessation and maintenance of smoking cessation in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung-Kook
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Dong-Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jong-Hyock
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chun-Sick
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.forename: Sin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kam
authors.forename: Jae-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Be-Long
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hong-Gwan
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Seo
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011379:Prognosis; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*