Smoking may make people lonelier, according to new study
Smoking may do more than harm your physical health—it could also leave you feeling lonelier, according to a new study.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 50,000 people across 15 European countries who participated in the Survey of Health and Ageing in Europe. They measured participants’ loneliness using the UCLA loneliness scale, which looks at feelings such as lacking companionship, feeling left out, and feeling isolated from others.
The researchers compared people who currently smoke with those who did not and followed up with the participants two years later. The average age of those included in the study was 67, with 22% identifying as smokers at the start of the research.
Current smokers reported higher levels of loneliness than non-smokers, even after researchers accounted for factors such as age, gender, and participants’ initial levels of loneliness. Smokers also experienced a greater increase in loneliness over the two years.
According to lead researcher Dr. Keir Philip, a clinical lecturer in respiratory medicine at Imperial College London, the findings challenge the idea that smoking is a social activity.
“Smoking is not social; our research shows it leads to increased social isolation and loneliness," he said.
One possible explanation is that smoking-related illnesses can eventually limit a person’s mobility, making it more difficult to participate in social activities.
“Another potential mechanism relates to social norms around smoking around other people,” Philip said. “Smoking bans in public places and informal smoke-free environments in people's homes may make such places less appealing to people who smoke, which could limit the potential for social interactions.”
Philip also said the findings suggest that the effects of smoking may extend beyond its well-known physical health risks.
“Smoking is associated with increasing loneliness in older people, suggesting smoking may damage psychosocial health in addition to physical effects,” he said. “These findings support and build on previous research and show that the relationship is broadly consistent throughout Europe.”
The researchers noted that the study does not, on its own, prove that smoking directly causes loneliness. However, the findings add to previous research pointing to a relationship between smoking, social isolation, and loneliness.