title: Cigarette Smoking in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Unions: The Role of Socioeconomic and Psychological Factors.
abstract: Cigarette smoking has long been a target of public health intervention because it substantially contributes to morbidity and mortality. Individuals in different-sex marriages have lower smoking risk (i.e., prevalence and frequency) than different-sex cohabiters. However, little is known about the smoking risk of individuals in same-sex cohabiting unions. We compare the smoking risk of individuals in different-sex marriages, same-sex cohabiting unions, and different-sex cohabiting unions using pooled cross-sectional data from the 1997-2010 National Health Interview Surveys (N= 168,514). We further examine the role of socioeconomic status (SES) and psychological distress in the relationship between union status and smoking. Estimates from multinomial logistic regression models reveal that same-sex and different-sex cohabiters experience similar smoking risk when compared to one another, and higher smoking risk when compared to the different-sex married. Results suggest that SES and psychological distress factors cannot fully explain smoking differences between the different-sex married and same-sex and different-sex cohabiting groups. Moreover, without same-sex cohabiter's education advantage, same-sex cohabiters would experience evengreatersmoking risk relative to the different-sex married. Policy recommendations to reduce smoking disparities among same-sex and different-sex cohabiters are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Sociology and Women's, Gender, and Sexualities Studies, The Ohio State University, 164 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil Avenue Mall, Columbus, OH 43210-1222, USA.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reczek
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, Berkey Hall, 509 E. Circle Drive 316, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1248, USA.
authors.forename: Dustin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brown
keywords: National Health Interview Survey; Psychological distress; Same-sex cohabitation; Smoking; Socioeconomic status