Social support and life satisfaction are important determinants of health behaviors and health outcomes. Cigarette smoking, a health risk behavior that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, is deemed to have association with perceived social support and life satisfaction. This study assessed this relationship among US adults with one or more cardiovascular CV risks, namely, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.
Using nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey on 17, adults with at least one CV risk, we examined whether individuals with low life-satisfaction and weak social-support were more likely to smoke compared to those with high life-satisfaction and strong social support. At different levels of social support strong and weak , the odds of smoking were higher among individuals with low level of life satisfaction.
Likewise, at different levels of life satisfaction high, medium, and low , smoking prevalence was the highest among individuals with weak social support. Estimates of the multivariable logistic regressions, with controls for various demographic and socioeconomic correlates, suggested that the adjusted odds of current smoking for individuals with low life-satisfaction and weak social-support were 3. This association was robust across all four CV risk factors, and across different sociodemographic i.
Keywords: cardiovascular disease; diabetes; high cholesterol; hypertension; life satisfaction; obesity; smoking; social support.
Abstract Social support and life satisfaction are important determinants of health behaviors and health outcomes.
