title: Social relations and smoking abstinence among ever-smokers: a report from two large population-based Danish cohort studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Relational strain may be a risk factor for relapse after smoking cessation whereas social support may be protective. This study aimed to assess which aspects of social relations were associated with smoking abstinence among ever-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional questionnaire study included data from two large Danish cohorts: One including younger women (n=10,107) and one including older men (n=21,091) and women (n=23,800). Structural and functional relations with different counterparts were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contact with and support from close counterparts tended to be associated with an increased probability of being smoking abstinent, and contact with or support from more distant counterparts tended to be associated with a decreased probability of being smoking abstinent. Although not completely consistent across all three samples, more frequently meeting too many demands from the partner or other relatives seemed to be associated with a decreased probability of abstinence. The patterns for strain measured as worries or conflicts were less clear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking abstinence was associated with structural and functional measures of social relations and depended on the closeness of the persons constituting the relations. Further knowledge about these associations could lead to a potential in involving social relations in smoking cessation programmes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark. lone.ross@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Lone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Birthe Lykke
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: Sidsel Helle
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Boesen
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frederiksen
authors.forename: Rikke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Munk
authors.forename: Susanne Oksbjerg
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Pernille Envold
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bidstrup
authors.forename: Susanne Krüger
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kjær
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjønneland
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cross-sectional; epidemiology; smoking; social network; social support