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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sharon P. Brown, PhD(c), MPH, MN, Public Health and Epidemiology, University of California-Irvine, 400 Gass Rd, Wexford, PA 15090, 724-940-9325, spbrown@uci.edu

Children are supposed to be protected from harm by their parents. Unfortunately, many times this is not the case when one or both of the parents are addicted to tobacco. Recent research has shown the strong association between children's morbidity and mortality and their exposures to secondhand smoke or ETS. In a study of children's risk perceptions associated with both their intent & actual tobacco use, this researcher found some interesting relationships between these outcomes and parental tobacco use. In both elementary (ES) and middle school (MS) students, there were significant relationships found between children's tobacco use and parental tobacco use (r= .207,* .181,* respectively); however, there was no significance for children's intent to use tobacco with either group. Other significant relationships were found for both groups between the child's tobacco use and(child's risk perception of smoking, r= -.341,* -.327,* respectively); and the child's intent to use and (child's risk perception of smoking, r= -.098,* -.318* respectively). Other significant findings from further analyses will be presented during the session.

Coordinated, multidisciplinary approaches to comprehensive interventions are recommended from these findings. Both prevention educators and health care professionals should identify early interventions for both children and parents, as there's a demonstrated need to educate children in elementary levels about the harms of tobacco. With such a multi-faceted approach, our shrinking prevention dollars will be more wisely utilized; and, fewer children will continue to be harmed by the devastating addiction and harm caused by tobacco use. * = significance at .05)

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify levels of parental tobacco use and their relationship to the child's a)intention to use tobacco, and b)actual tobacco use;
• Describe differences seen in children's perceptions of the risk of tobacco use related to parental use; and,
• Suggest several ways education & health care professionals can improve their interventions to include parental cessation incorporation into their comprehensive tobacco prevention plans

Keywords: Substance Abuse Prevention, Health Risks

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered