Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Romantic partners have a significant influence on their health behaviors. Evidence for the effectiveness of social support for smoking abstinence, however, is mixed and the role of social support for smoking abstinence in dual-smoker couples is understudied.
DESIGN: 77 dual-smoker couples were assessed 30 days after a joint quit attempt using a dyadic approach.
METHODS: Received and provided support, self-reported and objectively measured smoking abstinence were assessed from both partners. Actor and partner effects of received and provided support on self-reported and objectively measured smoking abstinence and their difference for men and women were investigated with the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model using multilevel modeling.
RESULTS: A significant actor effect emerged: Higher reports of received emotional support were related to an increased likelihood of objective smoking abstinence for men and women alike. For men only, partner effects of women's received emotional and instrumental support emerged (p < .10): Higher reports of women's support receipt were associated with an increased likelihood of men's self-reported abstinence.
CONCLUSION: Received emotional support seems to play a key role in dual-smoker couple's abstinence, whereas provided support does not seem to make a difference in successful quitting in dual-smoker couples.
Lüscher, Janina