To what extent do parents strive to protect their children from environmental tobacco smoke in the Nordic countries? A population-based study

Abstract

Objective-To assess to what extentNordic parents strive to protect their children from environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home. Design-A cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire. Subjects and setting-A stratified, random sample of 5500 households containing a child born during 1992, including 1500 households in Denmark and 1000 households in each of the countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Main outcome measures-Smoking status of parents, prevalence and magnitude of weekly ETS exposure, rules regarding smoking in the home. Results-82% of current smokers reported having tried to change their smoking behaviour for the sake of their children. Of all parents who answered the questionnaire, 75% reported having introduced some rules to limit ETS in their home. In households where at least one parent smoked, 57% reported that children were exposed to ETS at home. Child exposure to ETS was most prevalent in single-parent households and in households in which parents had lower levels of education. However, these parents were not less likely than other smoking parents to report having tried to change their smoking behaviour for the sake of their children. Conclusion-Environmentaltobacco smoke at home is still a problem for many children in the Nordic countries. However, most smoking parents reported having made eVorts to change their smoking behaviour for the sake of their children; and in approximately half of all households containing at least one daily smoker, parents reported protecting their children from ETS exposure in the home. Although actual exposure may be higher owing to possible under-reporting of ETS, our results indicate a general awareness in the Nordic countries of the potential negative eVects of ETS on children. (Tobacco Control 1998;7:56-60)

Infant exposure to environmental tobacco smoke: A prevalence study in Australia

“…15,17 Such findings could be expected given the higher rates of smoking in these population groups. 27 Similarly, the results confirm that Australian infants who live with smokers are more likely to be exposed.…”

“…Of the infants reported to be exposed in the previous three days, 10% [95% CI [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] were reported as exposed in the home, 6% [95% CI 2-9] were reported as exposed in the car, none were reported as exposed at child care, 22% [95% CI [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] were reported as exposed at a friend or relative's home, 18% [95% CI [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] were reported as exposed at a shopping centre, 8% [CI [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] were reported as exposed at a restaurant or hotel and 8% [CI 4-13] were reported as exposed in an outdoor location.…”

“…[12][13][14] Community studies in Europe and the United States have suggested that maternal and other household member smoking, marital status and social class are associated with infant/child exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. [15][16][17] No data have been reported that describe whether the same or other factors are independently associated with infant exposure in Australia.…”

Barriers to Reducing ETS in the Homes of Inner-City Children with Asthma

“…For parents who are unable to quit, a "next best" strategy is to create a smoking ban in the home and car to protect their children (26)(27)(28)(29)(30). In this study we found that all of the parents were attempting to reduce their children's exposure to smoke.…”

“…Many parents believe that children's health is affected by home smoking (26)(27)(28)(29)(30), and most smokers feel it is important to protect children from secondhand smoke (31). An improved understanding of parental knowledge and attitudes about ETS among parents of children with asthma as well as the barriers families face to reducing ETS exposure would help to guide future interventions.…”