This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Exposure to household smoking during childhood may predict adult smoking habits

Hispanic children who lived with smokers while growing up are twice as likely to smoke in adulthood, especially among Cuban and Puerto Rican populations, according to recently published data in Preventative Medicine.

“Childhood exposure to [household cigarette smoking behavior] nearly doubled the risk of being current cigarette smokers compared to those who were never exposed…Our data suggest that children who grow up in a smoking household environment are more likely to initiate smoking through observation and imitation,” E.L. Navas-Nacher, PhD, Institute for Minority Health Research, University of Illinois at Chicago and colleagues wrote.

E.L. Navas-Nacher

To assess the correlation between household smoking in childhood and adult cigarette smoking among Hispanics, researchers evaluated data from the Hispanic Community Health Study /Study of Latinos. Participants (n = 13,231) were aged 18 to 74 years and included Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Central Americans and South Americans.

Results demonstrated that exposure to household smoking during childhood was a significant risk factor for adult smoking among Hispanics (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-2).

Forty percent of participants had been exposed to household smoking during childhood and adolescence. Exposure to household smoking was significantly higher among Cubans (59%) and Puerto Ricans (47%), compared with other Hispanic populations (P < .001).

Current cigarette smoking was reported by 20% of participants, with substantially higher rates among Puerto Ricans (32%) and Cubans (26%). Among all participants, men were twice as likely to be current smokers.

Future research should focus on Hispanic and Latino knowledge and attitudes regarding household smoking to develop the most effective tobacco-control programs, according to the researchers.

“While progress has  been made in reducing exposure to [household cigarette smoking behavior] and cigarette smoking in the U.S. and Latin America, these findings suggest that additional efforts are needed to reduce home [household cigarette smoking behavior] exposure in Hispanics/Latinos in this country and abroad,” the researchers concluded. – by Casey Hower

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.