European study links smoking to increased loneliness

A large-scale European study presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona suggests that smoking is linked to increased levels of loneliness and social isolation.

Researchers analyzed data from over 50,000 participants across 15 countries through the Survey of Health and Ageing in Europe (SHARE). The study, presented by Dr. Keir Philip of Imperial College London, utilized the UCLA loneliness scale to measure feelings of isolation, lack of companionship, and exclusion.

The findings indicate that current smokers reported higher levels of loneliness compared to non-smokers, even when accounting for variables such as age and gender. Furthermore, the research suggests that smokers experienced greater increases in loneliness over a two-year follow-up period. While previous research often explored whether loneliness leads to smoking, this study specifically investigated whether the act of smoking contributes to social isolation.