Parental smoking and smoking experimentation in childhood increase the risk of being a smoker 20 years later: the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study

Abstract

AIMS: To examine the long-term effects of childhood smoking experimentation and exposure to parental smoking on adult smoking risk. METHODS: Data were from a 20-year follow-up of 9-15-year-olds who completed questionnaires in the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey (n=6559). The relative risks (RR) of adult current smoking in 2004-05 for childhood exposure to smoking experimentation (never, a few puffs, 10 cigarettes) and parental smoking (none, father, mother, both parents) in 1985, with adjustment for confounders, were estimated by log binomial modelling. Analyses were stratified by age (9-13 and 14-15 years) and sex. FINDINGS: Participation at follow-up was 54% (n=3559). Chi..