Preventing Initiation of Smoking by Children

Youth whose parents smoke cigarettes are at high risk for early initiation of cigarette smoking, and youth who first smoke cigarettes during childhood are at high risk for subsequent addiction to tobacco. Parents influence their children's perceptions of the prevalence of smoking, the acceptability of smoking, the accessibility of cigarettes, and the personal and social consequences of smoking. All parents, including parents who smoke, can engage in anti-smoking socialization, which may lower children's risk of smoking.

Although there are some programs available that are directed at preventing initiation of smoking during childhood, none of these prevention programs engage parents who smoke in altering children's smoking-specific socialization. This study will evaluate a program to change smoking-specific socialization of children in households where parents smoke cigarettes.

Consenting volunteers will be randomly assigned to either treatment (anti-smoking socialization program) or control groups. Parents in the treatment group will participate in the "Smoke-free Kids" program and receive activity magazines, newsletters, and support calls. Parents in the control group will receive a fact sheet about youth smoking. Parents involved in the study will be assessed through a telephone interview 1 month after completion of the three-month anti-smoking program. Assenting children will complete surveys administered at school at 12, 24, and 36 months after completion of the anti-smoking program. Primary and secondary dependent variables include initiation of cigarette smoking and susceptibility to cigarette smoking by children. The child survey will also assess risk and protective factors.