Perceived Partner Responsiveness Predicts Decreases in Smoking During the First Nine Years of Marriage

Abstract

Introduction: Support for quitting is associated with smoking cessation, but few studies have examined the influence of more general social support on smoking outcomes. The current research examines perceptions of the partner’s willingness and ability to provide general social support (i.e., perceived partner responsiveness) as a longitudinal predictor of smoking trajectories. Methods: Data are from a sample of newlywed couples assessed at six timepoints over 9 years. The current analyses focus on both partners in 333 “ever-smoker” couples. Participants completed measures of partner responsiveness, smoking, and demographics through the mail at each timepoint. Results: Both husbands and wives who initially reported greater partner responsiveness showed a decrease over the following 9 years in the likelihood of being a smoker and in cigarette quantity. This decrease was not apparent for husbands and wives who initially reported lower partner responsiveness. These effects were mediated by several time-varying characteristics. Conclusions: Previous research has shown that support for quitting is an important predictor of smoking cessation. The current research demonstrates that more general perceived social support, unrelated to smoking behavior, also predicts decreases in smoking over time in both men and women. In fact, reports of partner responsiveness at baseline predicted smoking over 9 years, demonstrating the potency of this particular relationship perception for smoking outcomes.