title: Health shocks in the family: gender differences in smoking changes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study estimates the likelihood of starting and stopping smoking when respondents and their partners report new chronic illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study tests whether starting or stopping smoking is more likely when (a) the respondent, (b) their partner, (c) or both report a new chronic condition, and whether these patterns differ by gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both men and women are more likely to quit smoking when reporting a new chronic condition, relative to when reporting none. However only women are more likely to quit smoking when their partners fall ill. Women are also more likely than men to start smoking at this time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among older couples, women's smoking changes are more sensitive to health shocks in the partnership. Interventions aimed at preventing unhealthy behaviors should pay attention to how each partner deals with the stress of health shocks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. rachel.margolis@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margolis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
keywords: Health and Retirement Study; families; health behaviors; smoking