Philip, KEJ;
Bu, F;
Polkey, MI;
Brown, J;
Steptoe, A;
Hopkinson, NS;
Fancourt, D;
(2022)
Relationship of smoking with current and future social isolation and loneliness: 12-year follow-up of older adults in England.
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
, 14
, Article 100302. 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100302.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Smoking is often colloquially considered “social”. However, the actual relationship of smoking with current and future social isolation and loneliness is unclear. We therefore examined these relationships over a 12-year follow-up. METHODS: In this cohort study, we used a nationally representative sample of community dwelling adults aged 50 years and over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N=8780) (45% male, mean(SD) age 67(10) years. We examined associations of self-reported smoking status at baseline assessment, with social isolation (low social contact, social disengagement, domestic isolation), and loneliness (3-item UCLA loneliness scale), measured at baseline, and follow-up at 4, 8 and 12 years, using ordinary least squares regression models. FINDINGS: At baseline, smokers were more likely to be lonely (coef.=0·111, 95% CI 0·025 – 0·196) and socially isolated than non-smokers, having less frequent social interactions with family and friends (coef.= 0·297, 95%CI 0·148 – 0·446), less frequent engagement with community and cultural activities (coef.= 0·534, 95%CI 0·421 – 0·654), and being more likely to live alone (Odds Ratio =1·400, 95%CI 1·209 – 1·618). Smoking at baseline was associated with larger reductions in social contact (coef.=0·205, 95%CI 0·053 – 0·356, to 0·297, 95%CI 0·140 – 0·455), increases in social disengagement (coef.=0·168, 95%CI 0·066 – 0·270, to coef.=0·197, 95%CI 0·087 – 0·307), and increases in loneliness (coef.=0·105, 95%CI 0·003 – 0·207), at 4-year follow-up) over time. No association was found between smoking and changes in cohabitation status. Findings were independent of all identified confounders, including age, sex, social class and the presence of physical and mental health diagnoses. INTERPRETATION: Smoking is associated with the development of increasing social isolation and loneliness in older adults, suggesting smoking is detrimental to aspects of psychosocial health. The idea that smoking might be prosocial appears a misconception. FUNDING: UK Economic and Social Research Council & Imperial College London.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Relationship of smoking with current and future social isolation and loneliness: 12-year follow-up of older adults in England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100302 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100302 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) |
| Keywords: | Smoking, social isolation, loneliness, older people, tobacco |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10141641 |
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