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Work‐place social capital and smoking cessation: the Finnish Public Sector Study
Author(s) -
Kouvonen Anne,
Oksanen Tuula,
Vahtera Jussi,
Väänänen Ari,
De Vogli Roberto,
Elovainio Marko,
Pentti Jaana,
Leka Stavroula,
Cox Thomas,
Kivimäki Mika
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02315.x
Subject(s) - smoking cessation , social capital , medicine , psychiatry , environmental health , psychology , sociology , social science , pathology
Aims To examine whether high social capital at work is associated with an increased likelihood of smoking cessation in baseline smokers. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Finland. Participants A total of 4853 employees who reported to be smokers in the baseline survey in 2000–2002 (response rate 68%) and responded to a follow‐up survey on smoking status in 2004–2005 (response rate 77%). Measurements Work‐place social capital was assessed using a validated and psychometrically tested eight‐item measure. Control variables included sex, age, socio‐economic position, marital status, place of work, heavy drinking, physical activity, body mass index and physician‐diagnosed depression. Findings In multi‐level logistic regression models adjusted for all the covariates, the odds for being a non‐smoker at follow‐up were 1.26 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–1.55] times higher for baseline smokers who reported high individual‐level social capital than for their counterparts with low social capital. In an analysis stratified by socio‐economic position, a significant association between individual‐level social capital and smoking cessation was observed in the high socio‐economic group [odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) = 1.63 (1.01–2.63)], but not in intermediate [(OR = 1.10 (0.83–1.47)] or low socio‐economic groups [(OR = 1.28 (0.86–1.91)]. Work unit‐level social capital was not associated with smoking cessation. Conclusions If the observed associations are causal, these findings suggest that high perceived social capital at work may facilitate smoking cessation among smokers in higher‐status jobs.