Narrative review of the predictors of children’s secondhand smoke exposure
| Author(s)
Sophie Orton, Professor Tim Coleman, Dr Sue Cooper, Professor Sarah Lewis and Dr Laura Jones
| | Presenter(s) |
Sophie Orton PhD Student, University of Nottingham | Abstract Background
Children’s exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) has been causally linked to significant childhood morbidities. Over half of UK children aged 4-15 years who live with smokers are regularly exposed to SHS at home. The prevalence in very young children is unknown.
Aim
This review aimed to identify which factors are associated with SHS exposure in children, as measured by parental self-reported smoking inside the home and/or via biochemically validated child cotinine levels.
Methods
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL and Web of Knowledge to January 2013, reference lists from publications and abstracts from major conference proceedings.
Findings
Twenty-three studies were identified for inclusion. The most commonly reported independent predictors of children’s SHS exposure in the home were low socioeconomic status, income and lower parental education; children of parents in lower SES groups were up to three times more likely to be exposed to SHS and children whose parents had lower education levels were around twice as likely to be exposed to SHS. Low income was also associated with child SHS exposure.
Conclusion
This review suggests that low socioeconomic status, low income and lower parental education are associated with children’s SHS exposure in the home. There is little information in children under two.
| Presenter biography Sophie Orton studied for her degree in Psychology at Warwick University, and a Masters in Health Psychology at the University of Staffordshire. Sophie joined the Division of Primary Care at the University of Nottingham as a research fellow in July 2010 to contribute to a 5 year programme of research funded by the NIHR entitled ‘improving the effectiveness and reach of NHS support for smoking cessation in pregnancy’.
Sophie is currently studying for her PhD at the University of Nottingham, for which she is looking at the prevalence and determinants of smoking in the home after childbirth, and its’ relationship to smoking in pregnancy.
| Source of funding: The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research
| Declaration of interest: None
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