title: The Influence of Social Network Characteristics on Peer Clustering in Smoking: A Two-Wave Panel Study of 19- and 23-Year-Old Swedes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study examines how the composition of social networks and perceived relationship content influence peer clustering in smoking, and how the association changes during the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis was based on a Swedish two-wave survey sample comprising ego-centric network data. Respondents were 19 years old in the initial wave, and 23 when the follow-up sample was conducted. 17,227 ego-alter dyads were included in the analyses, which corresponds to an average response rate of 48.7 percent. Random effects logistic regression models were performed to calculate gender-specific average marginal effects of social network characteristics on smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The association of egos' and alters' smoking behavior was confirmed and found to be stronger when correlated in the female sample. For females, the associations decreased between age 19 and 23. Interactions between network characteristics and peer clustering in smoking showed that intense social interactions with smokers increase egos' smoking probability. The influence of network structures on peer clustering in smoking decreased during the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirmed peer clustering in smoking and revealed that females' smoking behavior in particular is determined by social interactions. Female smokers' propensity to interact with other smokers was found to be associated with the quality of peer relationships, frequent social interactions, and network density. The influence of social networks on peer clustering in smoking decreased during the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2004-3780
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miething
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rostila
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christofer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Edling
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rydgren
mesh_terms: D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010379:Peer Group; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D060756:Social Networking; D066252:Sociological Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult