Background: Secondhand smoke exposure harms children. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure in children ≤2 years and determine the predictors of smoking and smoking cessation in parents.
Methods: We surveyed parents of children ≤2 years of age, asking about parental smoking patterns, interest in quitting and children's respiratory symptoms. Data were analyzed with chi-square and multiple logistic regression.
Results: Thirteen percent were current smokers and 18% had quit. The most common reason for quitting was being pregnant (42%). Children's respiratory symptoms did not predict quitting. Parents on Medicaid were more likely to smoke than those on private insurance (OR = 5.7, 95% CI = 2.0-16.5) and less likely to quit (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1-0.9).
Conclusion: Having a new baby may be a motivator for parents to quit. We must address socioeconomic factors to develop a successful intervention in pediatric practices.
Keywords: children; environmental tobacco smoke exposure; parents; pediatric; secondhand smoke; smoking.
© The Author(s) 2014.