Exposure to parental and sibling smoking and the risk of smoking uptake in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, UK
- Correspondence to Associate Professor Jo Leonardi-Bee, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital Campus, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK; jo.leonardi-bee{at}nottingham.ac.uk
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Contributors JL-B contributed to the conception and design, analysis and interpretation of data, drafted and critically revised the article for important intellectual content, approved the final version to be published, had access to all of the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication. MLJ contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data, drafted the article and approved the final version to be published. JB contributed to the conception and design, critically revised the article for important intellectual content and approved the final version to be published. JL-B is the guarantor.
- Received 12 October 2010
- Accepted 6 January 2011
- Published Online First 15 February 2011
Abstract
Background There is increasing evidence that contact with other smokers, particularly in the family, is a strong determinant of risk of smoking uptake. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the magnitude of these effects is reported.
Methods Studies were identified by searching four databases to March 2009 and proceedings from international conferences. Meta-analyses were performed using random effects, with results presented as pooled ORs with 95% CIs.
Results 58 studies were included in the meta-analyses. The relative odds of uptake of smoking in children were increased significantly if at least one parent smoked (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.59 to 1.86), more so by smoking by the mother (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.73 to 2.79) than the father (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.42 to 1.94), and if both parents smoked (OR 2.73, 95% CI 2.28 to 3.28). Smoking by a sibling increased the odds of smoking uptake by 2.30 (95% CI 1.85 to 2.86) and smoking by any household member by 1.92 (95% CI 1.70 to 2.16). After adjusting for overestimation of RRs it is estimated that, in England and Wales, around 17 000 young people take up smoking by the age of 15 each year as a consequence of exposure to household smoking.
Conclusions Parental and sibling smoking is a strong and significant determinant of the risk of smoking uptake by children and young people and, as such, is a major and entirely avoidable health risk. Children should be protected from exposure to smoking behaviour, especially by family members.
Footnotes
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See Editorial, p 842
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Linked article 154963.
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Funding This work was supported by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (http://www.ukctcs.org) with core funding from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council and the Department of Health, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration; and by project grant C1512/A11160 from Cancer Research UK. The study sponsor had no role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
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Competing interests None.
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Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
