Relationships Among Constructive Communication, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation in Latino Men Who Smoke: A Path Analysis

Previous authors have posited that the health and functioning of romantic relationships may play a role in individual partners’ motivation to engage in healthier behavioral patterns. This effect of romantic relationship functioning may be particularly applicable to Latino couples, given the cultural value of familismo (Galanti, 2003). Utilizing specific factors of Lewis and colleagues’ (2006) Interdependence Model, the present study tested a model of motivation for smoking cessation in which self-efficacy mediates the effect of perceived spousal constructive communication patterns on male partners’ motivation to quit smoking. The model was tested in a sample of 173 Latino couples who underwent a couple-based intervention for Latino men who smoke. Results indicated that higher levels of perceived constructive communication among Latino male partners predicted subsequent increases in male’s partners’ self-efficacy and motivation to quit smoking. Interestingly, these results were only significant at measurements taken after completion of the intervention. Female partners’ level of perceived constructive communication did not predict male partners’ subsequent self-efficacy or motivation to quit smoking. Self-efficacy did not mediate associations between constructive communication and motivation despite significant paths to and from self-efficacy. These results provide preliminary evidence to support the utility of couple-based interventions for Latino men who smoke. Findings also suggest that perceptions of communication processes among Latino romantic partners (particularly male partners) may be an important target for interventions aimed increasing motivation for smoking cessation among Latino men who smoke.