Lifetime parental smoking history and cessation and early adolescent smoking behavior

BACKGROUND: Associations are examined between parental smoking and smoking onset by their children. Smoking parents are more likely to have children who start smoking in their teenage years; however, less is known about whether parental quitting is related to adolescent smoking. METHODS: A cross-sectional national sample of 2,206 adolescents, ages 10-14 years, living in two-parent households were interviewed for the DEFACTO annual report on Dutch youth smoking behavior. Adolescent smokers reported that they have tried smoking, even one puff. Respondents indicated whether their parents were never, former, or current smokers, and provided, in the case a parent had quit, their age at that time. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses revealed that likelihood increased gradually: adolescents with both parents being current smokers were four times more likely to be a smoker compared to adolescents with parents who had never smoked. Additionally, within the group of adolescents whose parents quit smoking, the findings demonstrated that the earlier the parents stopped smoking in the life of their offspring, the less likely their children were to start smoking in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Parental smoking history is associated with smoking initiation in early adolescence. Parental cessation at an early age of their offspring reduces the likelihood of adolescent smoking initiation. Preventive efforts, therefore, should focus on the benefits of parental cessation as early as possible.     

The Changing Role of Self-Efficacy in Adolescent Smoking Initiation

BackgroundRefusal self-efficacy is assumed to be linked to adolescent smoking. The aim of the present study was to examine the changing role of self-efficacy in adolescent smoking over time while controlling for parental, sibling, and friends' smoking.MethodsThis study used data from five annual waves of the “Family and Health” project. A total of 428 adolescents (mean age = 13.3 years; standard deviation = .48) and their parents participated at baseline. Only never smokers at baseline (n = 272) were included to measure smoking initiation. First, the effects of baseline self-efficacy, parental, sibling, and friends' smoking on adolescent smoking initiation at measurement five were examined. Second, with latent growth curves analyses, individual growth curve parameters of adolescent smoking, self-efficacy, parental, sibling, and friends' smoking were calculated. Subsequently, these growth parameters were used to predict growth of adolescent smoking.ResultsFindings showed that baseline self-efficacy, parental and friends' smoking did not predict adolescent smoking at wave five, but baseline sibling smoking did. However, growth curve parameters showed that a decrease in self-efficacy, an increase in proportion of smoking friends, and an increase in sibling smoking over time were related to an increase in adolescent smoking. Initial levels of sibling and friends' smoking moderated the link between self-efficacy and adolescent smoking over time.ConclusionA decrease in self-efficacy over time, rather than baseline self-efficacy, is associated with smoking initiation in adolescence. Findings emphasize the need for more fine-grained analyses when looking at self-efficacy or other individual characteristics that might fluctuate over time.     

Love Conquers all but Nicotine: Spousal Peer Effects on the Decision to Quit Smoking

If two partners smoke, their quit behavior may be related through correlation in unobserved individual characteristics and through common shocks. However, there may also be a causal effect whereby the quit behavior of one partner is affected by the quit decision of the other partner. If so, there is a spousal peer effect on the decision to quit smoking. We use data containing retrospective information of Dutch partnered individuals about their age of onset of smoking and their age of quitting smoking. We estimate mixed proportional hazard models of starting rates and quit rates of smoking in which we allow unobserved heterogeneity to be correlated across partners. Using a timing of events approach, we determine whether the quitting‐to‐smoke decision of one partner has a causal effect on the quitting‐to‐smoke decision of the other partner. We find no evidence of substantial spousal peer effects in the decision to quit smoking. Apparently, love conquers all but nicotine addiction. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parental behaviours, but not parental smoking, influence current smoking and smoking susceptibility among 14 and 15 year-old children

Objective: To explore whether parental behaviours related to smoking socialisation and parenting are associated with smoking susceptibility and current smoking in 14–15 year old students. Method: Data were sourced from the New Zealand 2006 Year 10 In‐depth Survey, a school‐based survey of 3,189 students. Outcome measures were susceptibility to smoking and current smoking. Potential determinants were second‐hand smoke exposure in the home, parental smoking, parental anti‐smoking expectations, anti‐smoking rules, pocket money, monitoring of pocket money expenditure, general rule setting and monitoring, and concern about education. Analysis used logistic regression to adjust for potential confounding factors. Results: Exposure to second‐hand smoke and lack of parental anti‐smoking expectations were independently associated with smoking susceptibility and current smoking. Parental smoking was not independently associated with current smoking or susceptibility. Receiving pocket money and an absence of monitoring of expenditure were associated with smoking susceptibility and current smoking. Lack of parental rule setting was associated with smoking susceptibility. Findings were similar whether or not one or more parents were smokers. Conclusions: Not allowing smoking in the home, communicating non‐smoking expectations to children, monitoring pocket money, and setting rules to guide behaviour are strategies which are likely to reduce risk of smoking uptake. Implications: The study provides evidence to inform the development of parent‐focused interventions to reduce the risk of smoking initiation by children.     

中国人群中父母脑卒中史与脑卒中发病关系的前瞻性研究

目的探讨中国人群中父母脑卒中史与子代脑卒中发病的关系。方法1992—1994年在全国12组人群中分别整群随机抽取1000～2000人进行心血管病危险因素调查，并对心血管事件的发生情况进行随访观察，随访至2005年6月，平均随访10．8年。结果15131例随访对象共发生脑卒中事件370例。在控制了年龄、性别后，父母双方均无脑卒中史者、仅父母一方有脑卒中史者、父母双方均有脑卒中史者发生脑卒中的相对危险分别为1．00、1．74（1．33～2．29）和3．61（1．86～7．01）。在进一步控制了基线时的吸烟、饮酒、总胆固醇、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、空腹血糖、体重指数和收缩压后，上述各组发生脑卒中的相对危险分别为1．00、1．34（1．02～1．77）和2．50（1．29～4．87）。结论父母有脑卒中史者具有较高的发生脑卒中危险性，父母双方均有脑卒中者脑卒中发病危险的增加尤为显著。     

Prospective Analysis of Peer and Parent Influences on Smoking Initiation Among Early Adolescents

The nature and relative importance of psychosocial influences on smoking initiation among early adolescents are topics of substantial research interest. Students (N = 1081) from four middle schools were surveyed at the beginning and end of the sixth grade. Baseline predictors were regressed on smoking initiation at end of sixth grade. In bivariate, logistic regression analyses association with problem behaving peers, perceived prevalence, and depression were positively associated and adjustment to school, perceived social competence, parent expectations, parental monitoring, and parental involvement were negatively associated with smoking initiation. In multivariate logistic regression analyses controlling for sex, race, and school, peer affiliation and perceived prevalence were positively associated, whereas social competence and parental monitoring were negatively associated with smoking initiation. A significant interaction between parental involvement and peer affiliation indicated that among teens with problem behaving friends only those with parents who were relatively uninvolved were are at increased risk for smoking initiation. This finding held for boys, girls, Whites, Blacks, and teens living in single parent families. These findings provide evidence that antecedent parenting behaviors may protect early adolescents against smoking even in the context of negative peer affiliation.     

Happiness in Midlife Parental Roles: A Contextual Mixed Methods Analysis

This article focuses on midlife parental role satisfaction using date from a culturally diverse sample of 490 Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, parents. Results show that most parents are happy in their roles. Income satisfaction, intergenerational relationship quality, parents' main activity, health, age, ethnic background, and perceptions of how children “turn out,” however, influence their subjective levels of happiness. These findings are discussed in terms of practical implications for professionals interested in midlife parental health and well‐being.     

Early Determinants of Maternal and Paternal Harsh Discipline: The Generation R Study

Research described risk factors for maternal use of harsh discipline, but knowledge about determinants of paternal harsh discipline is lacking. This study aimed to identify determinants of harsh discipline and whether this differed between mothers and fathers. Harsh disciplining practices were self‐reported by Dutch parents of 3‐year‐old children. Data were available for 3,756 children and both parents. Younger parental age, non‐Western national origin, family dysfunction, psychopathology, and delinquency history were independently associated with an increased risk of maternal and paternal harsh discipline. Indicators of socioeconomic status (e.g., financial difficulties and educational level) were also associated with harsh discipline, but in mothers only. Our results suggest that preventive interventions should ideally be applied early in children's lives or even before birth, given the prevalence of parental harsh discipline in young children. These interventions should have a special focus on socially disadvantaged families and on parents with psychopathology and family stress.     

Environmental Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Taiwanese Children

Background: We explored the relationship among sociodemographic, behavioural, household environmental and perinatal factors, and risks of childhood overweight and obesity in Taiwan. Methods: A total of 7930 children aged 9 to 14 years were recruited from 14 randomly selected Taiwanese communities in 2007 and 2010. Height and weight were measured using standard protocols during school visits. Questionnaires that contained children's family information, birth conditions, exercise habits and household environmental factors were answered by the parents. Associations between risk factors and childhood overweight and obesity were estimated through odds ratio and 95% confidence interval from mixed models. Results: In this cohort, 32.3% of the children were overweight and 17.5% were obese. Male gender, high birthweight, exposure to in utero maternal smoking and current exposure to household environmental tobacco smoke (stronger effect of maternal than paternal smoking) were positively associated with childhood overweight/obesity. In contrast, higher parental education level, number of siblings, active exercise habits and taking vitamins were associated with reduced risks of childhood obesity. Birthweight revealed a J‐shaped relationship with the probability of childhood overweight/obesity. Conclusions: This study uncovers several modifiable risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity, and parents are encouraged to provide an anti‐obesity environment such as quitting smoking, controlling birthweight of child during pregnancy and building up exercise habits.     

22q11 deletion syndrome – the meaning of a diagnosis. A qualitative study on parental perspectives

Background The 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is one of the most common multiple anomaly syndromes, with an incidence of approximately one per 4000 newborns. Although a patient may have several not too severe symptoms, the cumulative effect may be substantial disability. The aim of this study was to explore and describe parents' experiences of the diagnostic process and of being parents of a child with 22q11DS. Methods Open, tape‐recorded interviews were carried out with 12 parents. The interviews were analysed in accordance with classical grounded theory. Results The analysis show that parents describe the disclosure of their child's medical diagnosis as two‐sided, ambivalence between relief and sorrow, and the differences between these two aspects were related to the age of the child at time of diagnosis as well as to the problems and symptoms that had led to the diagnosis. Different strategies for handling this ambivalence are presented in the categories. Conclusions Our conclusions are that information must be individually tailored, and there is no standard format for how to describe the syndrome to the parents. After disclosure, scheduled appointments for follow‐up on diagnosis‐related information is essential.