HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in ADC Online Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Spencer, N Articles by Dolan, A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Spencer, N Articles by Dolan, A Topic Collections Related Article

Parent reported home smoking bans and toddler (18–30 month) smoke exposure: a cross-sectional survey

¹ School of Health and Social Studies, University of Warwick, UK
² Department of Medical and Social Care Education, University of Leicester, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor N Spencer
School of Health and Social Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; n.j.spencer{at}warwick.ac.uk

Aims: To study the relation between the use of parent reported home smoking bans and smoke exposure among children aged 18–30 months.

Methods: A total of 309 smoking households with children aged 18–30 months, who were part of the Coventry Cohort study, consented to participate in this cross-sectional survey.

Results: Although parents in almost 88% of smoking households reported using harm reduction strategies to protect their toddlers from smoke exposure, only 13.9% reported smoking bans in the house. Mean log urinary cotinine:creatinine ratio was significantly lower for those children whose parents reported no smoking in the house (1.11, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.49) compared with none/less strict strategies (1.87, 95% CI 1.64 to 2.10). In linear regression models fitted on log cotinine:creatinine ratio, no smoking in the house was independently associated with a significant reduction in cotinine:creatinine ratio (B = –0.55, 95% CI –0.89 to –0.20) after adjusting for mother’s and partner’s average daily cigarette consumption, housing tenure, and overcrowding. The final model accounted for 44.3% of the variance.

Conclusions: Not smoking in the house was associated with a reduction in mean urinary cotinine:creatinine ratio in children aged 18–30 months; the relation persisted after adjustment for levels of mother’s and partner’s daily cigarette consumption and sociodemographic factors. Results suggest that home smoking bans in this age group have a small but significant effect on smoke exposure independent of levels of parental tobacco consumption.

Keywords: harm reduction; smoke exposure; smoking ban; toddler

Related Article

Defining residential tobacco home policies: a behavioural and cultural perspective

M Hovell and J Daniel
Arch. Dis. Child. 2005 90: 661-662. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. P. Winickoff, E. R. Park, B. J. Hipple, A. Berkowitz, C. Vieira, J. Friebely, E. A. Healey, and N. A. Rigotti Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure: Development of Framework and Intervention Pediatrics, August 1, 2008; 122(2): e363 - e375. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Robinson and A. J. Kirkcaldy 'Imagine all that smoke in their lungs': parents' perceptions of young children's tolerance of tobacco smoke Health Educ. Res., December 20, 2007; (2007) cym080v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				State-Specific Prevalence of Smoke-Free Home Rules--United States, 1992-2003 JAMA, July 11, 2007; 298(2): 169 - 170. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R Stanwick Canada gets its house in order Inj. Prev., October 1, 2005; 11(5): 259 - 260. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Minerva BMJ, July 16, 2005; 331(7509): 168 - 168. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M Hovell and J Daniel Defining residential tobacco home policies: a behavioural and cultural perspective Arch. Dis. Child., July 1, 2005; 90(7): 661 - 662. [Full Text] [PDF]