Parental smoking cessation and adolescent smoking

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relation of parent smoking cessation to adolescent smoking and test its potential mediators. METHOD: Participants were 446 adolescents and their parents who completed a computerized measure of implicit attitudes toward smoking and questionnaires assessing smoking, parenting, and explicit attitudes. RESULTS: Parental smoking cessation was associated with less adolescent smoking, except when the other parent currently smoked. In general, ex-smoking parents showed more antismoking socialization than did smoking parents. However, in children's reports, these effects were negated if the other parent (particularly the mother) smoked. Children's reports of parents' antismoking behavior partially mediated the relation between parental smoking and adolescent smoking. Although children's implicit and explicit attitudes were unrelated to parental smoking, mothers' implicit attitudes were related to both their own smoking and their child's smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Parental smoking cessation may help lower risk for adolescent smoking. However, this benefit may be realized only if the other parent does not currently smoke. Antismoking parenting might be a useful focus in cessation interventions.     

After-School Supervision and Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: Contributions of the Setting and Intensity of After-School Self-Care

This paper looks at the independent contributions of the setting and the intensity of after-school self-care to the cigarette smoking behaviors of 2352 ninth graders. We controlled for a variety of correlates of adolescent cigarette smoking that have not been accounted for in existing research. Results indicated that the intensity of the self-care experience was significantly associated with adolescent smoking behavior irrespective of the typical setting of the adolescents' after-school activities. Our findings also indicated that a nonpermissive parenting style, family rule-setting about cigarettes, and especially, in absentia parental monitoring may reduce the likelihood of cigarette smoking among latchkey and nonlatchkey adolescents alike. However, latchkey youth were not any more sensitive to these aspects of parenting than other adolescents. This is consistent with the notion that targeting these aspects of the home lives of all adolescents has the potential to reduce smoking behaviors among latchkey as well as nonlatchkey children.     

Parenting style and smoking-specific parenting practices as predictors of adolescent smoking onset

OBJECTIVE: To test whether parenting style and smoking-specific parenting practices prospectively predicted adolescent smoking. METHODS: Three hundred eighty-two adolescents (age 10-17 years, initial nonsmokers, 98% non-Hispanic whites) and their parents were interviewed, with smoking also assessed 1-2 years later. RESULTS: Adolescents from disengaged families (low acceptance and low behavioral control) were most likely to initiate smoking. Adolescents' reports of parents' smoking-related discussion was related to lowered smoking risk for adolescents with nonsmoking parents, but unrelated to smoking onset for adolescents with smoking parents. Smoking-specific parenting practices did not account for the effects of general parenting styles. CONCLUSIONS: Both parenting style and smoking-specific parenting practices have unique effects on adolescent smoking, although effects were largely confined to adolescents' reports; and for smoking-specific parenting practices, effects were confined to families with nonsmoking parents. Interventions that focus only on smoking-specific parenting practices may be insufficient to deter adolescent smoking.     

青少年吸烟者的吸烟水平及其影响因素分析

目的考察不同吸烟水平青少年的特点及其影响因素。方法采用问卷调查的方法对211个吸烟的青少年进行调查。结果①14％的青少年经常吸烟,男生经常吸烟的人数显著地多于士生;②青少年的不同吸烟水平与同伴吸烟行为和态度、同伴直接和常规压力、父母吸烟态度以及青少年自身抵制技能、吸烟认识显著相关;③同伴吸烟行为和直接压力显著地预测青少年的不同吸烟水平。结论青少年吸烟者中大多数人偶尔吸烟,青少年的吸烟程度与同件因素关系紧密,青少年吸烟干预方案应将同伴因素列为最重要的干预成分。     

The role of parental monitoring in adolescent health outcomes: impact on regimen adherence in youth with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To determine if parental monitoring of adolescent behavior was related to regimen adherence and metabolic control among adolescents with type 1 diabetes. An additional objective was to compare the relative importance of instrumental parenting behaviors such as monitoring to affective behaviors such as parental support as predictors of regimen adherence. METHOD: Ninety-nine adolescents aged 12-18 years and their primary caregiver completed self-report questionnaires. Path analysis was used to test a model where diabetes-specific parental monitoring and support were predicted to have direct effects on regimen adherence and indirect effects on metabolic control via regimen adherence and an alternative model where parental support moderated the effects of monitoring on adherence. RESULTS: Diabetes-specific, but not general, monitoring was found to be associated with regimen adherence based on both parent and youth report. Monitoring had an indirect effect on metabolic control through regimen adherence. Although adolescent-reported parental support was significantly associated with regimen adherence in bivariate analyses, multivariate analyses indicated that parental support was not a significant independent predictor of health outcomes when parental monitoring was considered simultaneously. Modest support was also found for parental support as a moderator of the relationship between monitoring and adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Close parental monitoring of care completion can contribute to better adherence in adolescents with diabetes. General warmth and support in the absence of careful parental supervision may be insufficient to help youth achieve adequate levels of adherence.     

Coping skills and parent support mediate the association between childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and adolescent cigarette use

OBJECTIVE: To examine mediators of the association between childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and adolescent cigarette use. METHOD: Participants were 142 adolescents diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and 100 adolescents without ADHD. RESULTS: Among probands, cigarette smoking was more frequent, adaptive coping skills (behavioral and cognitive) were fewer, and parental support was lower. Coping and support partially mediated the ADHD association with smoking. Persistence of ADHD and adolescent conduct disorder were also important. CONCLUSIONS: Vulnerability to smoking among probands may be partly due to fewer problem-solving resources. Coping skill deficits and parent-child communication may be important treatment targets for smoking prevention.     

Parental Smoking and Adolescent Smoking Stages: The Role of Parents’ Current and Former Smoking, and Family Structure

This study examined the role of parents’ current and former smoking in predicting adolescent smoking acquisition stages. Participants were 7,426 students from 33 schools in the Netherlands. Participants’ survey data were gathered at baseline and at two-year follow-up. Logistic regression models showed that parental smoking status was not only predictive of transitions from never smoking to trying smoking, monthly smoking, or daily smoking, but also of the progression from trying smoking to daily smoking. Further, although parental former smoking was weaker associated with progressive adolescent smoking transitions than current parental smoking, however absence of parental smoking history was most preventive. Compared to the situation in which both parents had never smoked, cessation of parental smoking after the child was born was associated with an increased risk for children to smoke. Adolescents living in a single-parent family were at greater risk of smoking than adolescents living in an intact family with both mother and father. In sum, the role of parental smoking is not restricted to smoking onset and is present throughout different phases of the acquisition process. Results support the delayed modeling hypothesis that parental smoking affects the likelihood for children to smoke even when parents quit many years before. Children living in single-parent families are only exposed to the behaviour of one parent; in two-parent families the behaviour from one parent may magnify or buffer the behaviour of the other parent.     

Maternal prenatal smoking, parental antisocial behavior, and early childhood physical aggression

This study investigated joint effects of maternal prenatal smoking and parental history of antisocial behavior on physical aggression between ages 17 and 42 months in a population sample of children born in Québec (N = 1,745). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant main effects of maternal prenatal smoking and a significant interaction between maternal prenatal smoking and mother's history of antisocial behavior in the prediction of children's probability to display high and rising physical aggression. The interaction indicated that the effects of heavy smoking during pregnancy (> or =10 cigarettes/day) were greater when the mother also had a serious history of antisocial behavior. The effects remained significant after the introduction of control variables (e.g., hostile-reactive parenting, family functioning, parental separation/divorce, family income, and maternal education). Another significant interaction not accounted for by control variables was observed for maternal prenatal smoking and family income, indicating more serious effects of maternal prenatal smoking under relatively low-income, conditions. Both interactions indicate critical adversities that, in combination with maternal prenatal smoking, have supra-additive effects on (the development of) physical aggression during early childhood. These findings may have implications for the selection of intervention targets and strategies.     

Testosterone and cigarette smoking in early adolescence

Social and psychological variables are used to explain why young people become cigarette smokers, whereas biological factors have been virtually ignored as possible determinants of that behavior. In this study, salivary testosterone was positively associated with cigarette smoking among 201 subjects 12–14 years of age. This finding suggests that testosterone should be included in future considerations of adolescent cigarette smoking.This research was supported by Grant CA38392 from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.     

Resilience among African American adolescent mothers: predictors of positive parenting in early infancy

OBJECTIVE: To use Nath et al.'s (1991) conceptual model of adolescent parenting to examine the relationship between resiliency factors measured shortly after delivery and maternal parenting behavior at 6 months. METHOD: We recruited 181 first-time, adolescent African American mothers at delivery. Data on resiliency factors (maturity, self-esteem, and mother-grandmother relationships) were collected when infants were 1-4 weeks of age. Data on parental nurturance and parenting satisfaction were examined through observations and self-report at 6 months. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the longitudinal impact of resiliency factors on parental nurturance and parenting satisfaction. Maternal maturity, positive self-esteem, and positive adolescent mother-grandmother relationships (characterized by autonomy and mutuality) were associated with better parenting outcomes. Maternal parenting satisfaction was lowest when infants were temperamentally difficult and mothers and grandmothers had a confrontational relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal associations between mother-grandmother relationships at delivery and parental behavior and satisfaction 6 months later may suggest an intergenerational transmission of parenting style. Recommendations are provided for intervention programs to enhance mother-grandmother relationships in contexts where adolescents are required to live with a guardian to receive government assistance.     

The impact of self-control indices on peer smoking and adolescent smoking progression

OBJECTIVE: To determine the direct impact of self-control variables on baseline smoking and smoking progression and determine whether self-control had indirect effects on smoking practices through effects on peer smoking. METHODS: Study participants were 918 adolescents who were followed from 9th through the 12th grade and completed self-report measures of peer smoking, self-control, and cigarette smoking. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to assess the factor structure of a 41-item self-control measure. The EFA indicated a six-factor structure comprising of impulsive control, planning, hostile blaming, attentional disregulation, conscientiousness, and physical aggression. RESULTS: The results of a latent growth model indicated that conscientiousness (OR = 0.81, CI = 0.73-0.90), hostile blaming (OR = 0.89, CI = 0.81-0.99), and physical aggression (OR = 1.16, CI = 1.06-1.27) had direct effects on baseline smoking, whereas planning (OR = 0.90, CI = 0.82-0.99) and impulse control (OR = 1.15, CI = 1.02-1.28) had indirect effects on adolescent smoking at baseline through baseline peer smoking. There were no significant direct or indirect effects of the self-control indices on smoking progression. There was a direct effect of peer smoking progression (number of peers who smoked) on adolescent smoking progression, such that increases in the number of peers who smoked across time increased the odds that an adolescent would progress to a higher level of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Youth smoking prevention and intervention program outcomes may potentially improve by addressing self-control behaviors as they appear to have direct effects on smoking and indirect effects through peers who smoke.     

Longitudinal changes in adolescent cigarette smoking behavior: Onset and cessation

Employing a 1-year longitudinal design, this study examined factors related to change in adolescent smoking. Predictors of smoking onset differed from predictors of continued smoking, underscoring the importance of studying factors related to adolescent smoking onset separately from mechanisms associated with changes in smoking among current smokers. Peer smoking predicted continuation of smoking after smoking initiation. Smokers received over 26 times more offers to smoke than did nonsmokers, suggesting that smokers attempting to quit need effective refusal skills to be successful. Habitual smoking was found to develop slowly, providing a substantial time window for refusal skill training and other prevention efforts. Predictors of smoking onset differed by developmental level. Peer smoking and marijuana use were stronger predictors of smoking onset for high-school students, and number of cigarette offers predicted better among middle-school students. Parent variables were not significant predictors of later smoking. Intention to smoke was unrelated to onset and was redundant with pretest smoking behavior in predicting cessation.This research was supported in part by Grants: HD13409 and HD15825 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, CA38273 from the National Cancer Institute, and DA037706 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.     

A review of parenting and adolescent sexual behavior: the moderating role of gender

In spite of the established link between parenting and adolescent sexual risk behavior, less is known about the role of adolescent gender as a potential moderator of this association. This literature review integrates findings from 24 studies to examine gender as a moderator of the link between parenting and youth sexual risk behavior. Despite the wide variability in methodology across the reviewed studies, findings suggest that monitoring may be more protective against sexual risk behavior for boys than girls, whereas parental warmth and emotional connection may be an especially salient factor for girls. The results of this review support further research on gender as an important factor in better understanding the role of parenting in the development of adolescent sexual behavior. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential role of gender-specific, tailored family-focused prevention programs targeting sexual behavior.     

Parenting styles, regimen adherence, and glycemic control in 4- to 10-year-old children with diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To examine relationships among parenting styles, regimen adherence, and glycemic control for preschool and elementary school children who have Type I diabetes. METHODS: Parents of 55 children with diabetes completed parenting style and regimen adherence questionnaires. Glycosylated hemoglobin results were collected by chart review. RESULTS: Parental warmth was associated with better adherence ratings. Regression analyses showed that parental warmth explained 27% of the variance in adherence ratings. Parental restrictiveness was associated with worse glycemic control in univariate analyses. However, only Black ethnicity, not adherence or parenting variables, predicted glycemic control. Black ethnicity and lower socioeconomic status (SES) were associated with more parental restrictiveness and worse glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that authoritative parenting, characterized by support and affection, may be advantageous for the regimen adherence and glycemic control of school-age and younger children with diabetes. Demographic characteristics are important and require further study in this context.     

Parental problem drinking,parenting, and adolescent alcohol use

The present study examined whether parental problem drinking affected parenting (i.e., behavioral control, support, rule-setting, alcohol-specific behavioral control), and whether parental problem drinking and parenting affected subsequent adolescent alcohol use over time. A total of 428 families, consisting of both parents and two adolescents (mean age 13.4 and 15.2 years at Time 1) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study with annual waves. A series of path analyses were conducted using a structural equation modeling program (Mplus). Results demonstrated that, unexpectedly, parental problem drinking was in general not associated with parenting. For the younger adolescents, higher levels of both parenting and parental problem drinking were related to lower engagement in drinking over time. This implies that shared environment factors (parenting and modeling effects) influence the development of alcohol use in young adolescents. When adolescents grow older, and move out of the initiation phase, their drinking behavior may be more affected by other factors, such as genetic susceptibility, and peer drinking.     

A situational analysis of adolescent smoking

Forty-four adolescent smokers self-monitored their smoking for 1 week. For 4 hr each day subjects recorded the person, place, and activity associated with each cigarette smoked. Seventy-one percent of all cigarettes were smoked in the presence of another person. Roughly half of those cigarettes were smoked with peers. A surprising amount of smoking occurred in the subject's own home, suggesting that the smoking of the subjects is accepted, if not condoned, by their parents. The data generally confirm the social nature of adolescent smoking.     

Use of harsh physical discipline and developmental outcomes in adolescence

A history of exposure to harsh physical discipline has been linked to negative outcomes for children, ranging from conduct disorder to depression and low self-esteem. The present study extends this work into adolescence, and examines the relationship of lifetime histories of harsh discipline to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing symptoms and to their developing capacities for establishing autonomy and relatedness in family interactions. Adolescent and parent reports of harsh discipline, independently coded observations of conflictual interactions, and adolescent reports of symptoms were obtained for 141 adolescents at age 16. Both parents' use of harsh discipline was related to greater adolescent depression and externalizing behavior, even when these effects were examined over and above the effects of other parenting measures known to account for these symptoms. Adolescents exposed to harsh discipline from mothers were also less likely to appear warm and engaged during an interaction task with their mothers. It is suggested that a history of harsh discipline is associated not only with social and emotional functioning, but also with the developmental task of autonomy and relatedness.     

The relationship between parenting dimensions and adult achievement: evidence from the whitehall ii study

This article examines the association between three dimensions of perceived parenting—warmth, strictness, and expectation—and adult cognitive and socioeco-nomic achievement outcomes. Structural equation models (N = 7,035) were used to examine simultaneously the influence of parenting on adult achievement while controlling for the influence of parental socioeconomic circumstances. Very low and very high level of parental warmth was associated with poor adult achievement. Strictness had a negative and parental expectation a positive relationship with adult achievement. These associations were independent of parental socioeconomic circumstances. Own education was found to mediate 27-56% of the relationship between parenting dimensions and adult achievement. Parental expectation was most strongly related to adult achievement. We conclude that parenting plays a significant role in the development of adult achievement: both cognitive ability and socioeconomic achievement. Moderate levels of warmth, low levels of strictness, and high parental expectation are associated with high adult achievement.     

父母教养方式与青少年网络欺负:移情的作用

目的:探讨父母教养方式与青少年网络欺负的关系以及移情在其间的中介作用。方法:武汉市773名初、高中生为被试填写父母教养方式问卷、基本移情量表和网络欺负量表,并用SPSS和AMOS对数据进行分析。结果:(1)父母教养方式各维度和青少年网络欺负显著相关,父母拒绝、父母过度保护与网络欺负显著正相关(r=0.180,0.155;P0.001),父母情感温暖与网络欺负显著负相关(r=-0.136,P0.001);(2)父母拒绝通过认知移情间接预测青少年的网络欺负(ab=0.01);父母情感温暖不仅对网络欺负具有直接预测作用(c’=-0.02,P0.001),还通过认知移情间接预测网络欺负(ab=-0.01);父母过度保护只能直接预测青少年网络欺负(c’=0.05,P0.001)。结论:父母教养方式对青少年网络欺负有显著预测作用,认知移情在父母拒绝、情感温暖与网络欺负间起中介作用。     

Children of African-American mothers who use crack cocaine: parenting influences on youth substance use

OBJECTIVE: To examine relationships between parenting behaviors, parent-child relationship, and moderating effects of age on youth substance use among a community sample of African-American mothers who use crack cocaine and their children (12-17 years). METHODS: Maternal-child dyads (n = 208) were recruited through street outreach and snowball sampling and completed interviews about substance use and parenting. RESULTS: Regression analyses found significant main effects of youth age, family conflict, warmth, and disapproval of youth substance use on children's substance use. Age x Parenting interactions were significant for conflict and disapproval. Higher family conflict increased older youths' risk, while higher perceived maternal disapproval protected against substance use for older youth. CONCLUSIONS: Family influences may offer risk and protective effects for adolescent children of maternal drug users. Outreach and family-focused interventions that address family conflict and communication of disapproval of substance use may help reduce intergenerational risk transmission. However, longitudinal research with comprehensive parenting assessments is needed.