TY - JOUR
T1 - Transitions in smokers' social networks after quit attempts
T2 - A latent transition analysis
AU - Bray, Bethany C.
AU - Smith, Rachel A.
AU - Piper, Megan E.
AU - Roberts, Linda J.
AU - Baker, Timothy B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and The Pennsylvania State University and was supported by awards P50-DA019706, P50-DA039838, and P50-DA010075 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), K05-CA139871 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and M01-RR03186 from the General Clinical Research Centers Program of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIDA, NCI, NCRR, or the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/12
Y1 - 2016/12
N2 - Introduction: Smokers' social networks vary in size, composition, and amount of exposure to smoking. The extent to which smokers' social networks change after a quit attempt is unknown, as is the relation between quitting success and later network changes. Methods: Unique types of social networks for 691 smokers enrolled in a smoking-cessation trial were identified based on network size, new network members, members' smoking habits, within network smoking, smoking buddies, and romantic partners' smoking. Latent transition analysis was used to identify the network classes and to predict transitions in class membership across 3 years from biochemically assessed smoking abstinence. Results: Five network classes were identified: Immersed (large network, extensive smoking exposure including smoking buddies), Low Smoking Exposure (large network, minimal smoking exposure), Smoking Partner (small network, smoking exposure primarily from partner), Isolated (small network, minimal smoking exposure), and Distant Smoking Exposure (small network, considerable nonpartner smoking exposure). Abstinence at years 1 and 2 was associated with shifts in participants' social networks to less contact with smokers and larger networks in years 2 and 3. Conclusions: In the years following a smoking-cessation attempt, smokers' social networks changed, and abstinence status predicted these changes. Networks defined by high levels of exposure to smokers were especially associated with continued smoking. Abstinence, however, predicted transitions to larger social networks comprising less smoking exposure. These results support treatments that aim to reduce exposure to smoking cues and smokers, including partners who smoke. Implications: Prior research has shown that social network features predict the likelihood of subsequent smoking cessation. The current research illustrates how successful quitting predicts social network change over 3 years following a quit attempt. Specifically, abstinence predicts transitions to networks that are larger and afford less exposure to smokers. This suggests that quitting smoking may expand a person's social milieu rather than narrow it. This effect, plus reduced exposure to smokers, may help sustain abstinence.
AB - Introduction: Smokers' social networks vary in size, composition, and amount of exposure to smoking. The extent to which smokers' social networks change after a quit attempt is unknown, as is the relation between quitting success and later network changes. Methods: Unique types of social networks for 691 smokers enrolled in a smoking-cessation trial were identified based on network size, new network members, members' smoking habits, within network smoking, smoking buddies, and romantic partners' smoking. Latent transition analysis was used to identify the network classes and to predict transitions in class membership across 3 years from biochemically assessed smoking abstinence. Results: Five network classes were identified: Immersed (large network, extensive smoking exposure including smoking buddies), Low Smoking Exposure (large network, minimal smoking exposure), Smoking Partner (small network, smoking exposure primarily from partner), Isolated (small network, minimal smoking exposure), and Distant Smoking Exposure (small network, considerable nonpartner smoking exposure). Abstinence at years 1 and 2 was associated with shifts in participants' social networks to less contact with smokers and larger networks in years 2 and 3. Conclusions: In the years following a smoking-cessation attempt, smokers' social networks changed, and abstinence status predicted these changes. Networks defined by high levels of exposure to smokers were especially associated with continued smoking. Abstinence, however, predicted transitions to larger social networks comprising less smoking exposure. These results support treatments that aim to reduce exposure to smoking cues and smokers, including partners who smoke. Implications: Prior research has shown that social network features predict the likelihood of subsequent smoking cessation. The current research illustrates how successful quitting predicts social network change over 3 years following a quit attempt. Specifically, abstinence predicts transitions to networks that are larger and afford less exposure to smokers. This suggests that quitting smoking may expand a person's social milieu rather than narrow it. This effect, plus reduced exposure to smokers, may help sustain abstinence.
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U2 - 10.1093/ntr/ntw173
DO - 10.1093/ntr/ntw173
M3 - Article
C2 - 27613925
AN - SCOPUS:85014102223
SN - 1462-2203
VL - 18
SP - 2243
EP - 2251
JO - Nicotine and Tobacco Research
JF - Nicotine and Tobacco Research
IS - 12
ER -