Intergenerational Transmission of Parental Smoking: when Are Offspring Most Vulnerable?

Overview

Journal Eur J Public Health

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Public Health

Date 2022 Jun 17

PMID 35712820

Authors

J Alves

J Perelman

E Ramos

A E Kunst

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Previous literature has showed that the likelihood of smoking is higher among offspring with smoking parents. The aim of this cohort study is to investigate during which smoking initiation stages and at what ages adolescents are more likely to be influenced by parental smoking.

Methods: This study used the EPITeen Cohort, which recruited 13-year-old adolescents born in 1990, enrolled at schools in Porto, Portugal. Participants (n = 996) were followed across four waves at 13, 17, 21 and 24 years old. We computed the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals for the prevalence of the different smoking states (never smoking, experimenter, less than daily smoker, daily smoker and former smoker), and incidence transitions between these states (to smoking experimenter; to less than daily smoker, to daily smoker; to former smoker) as function of age, parental smoking status and their interaction.

Results: Compared with other participants, those with two smoking parents had an increased prevalence of experimentation at 13 years (OR for the interaction at 13 years compared with 24 years = 2.13 [1.50-3.01]) and daily smoking at all ages (OR for parental smoking =1.91 [1.52-2.40]). The latter increase is related to a significantly increased risk to transit from early smoking stages to daily smoking at all ages (OR for parental smoking = 1.83 [1.43-2.34]).

Conclusions: Parental smoking influences offspring's daily smoking prevalence especially by increasing the risk to transit to daily smoking up to early adulthood. Prevention should focus on parents and parental influences especially among offspring who may transition to daily smokers.

Citing Articles

Perceived and internalized smoking stigma among pregnant women: association with smoking reduction, reactance to smoking health warnings, and intention to discuss smoking with health professionals.

David J, Rascle N, Auriacombe M, Serre F, Sutter-Dallay A, Loyal D J Behav Med. 2025; .

PMID: 39987240 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-025-00556-z.

Relationship between parental smoking and adolescent smoking: gender differences and mediation of resilience.

Liu Y, Li L, Chen Z, Ren S, He R, Liang Y BMC Public Health. 2025; 25(1):434.

PMID: 39901135 PMC: 11792306. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-21457-5.

The associations of parental smoking, quitting and habitus with teenager e-cigarette, smoking, alcohol and other drug use in GUI Cohort '98.

Sunday S, Clancy L, Hanafin J Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1):20105.

PMID: 37973812 PMC: 10654505. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47061-4.

References

Li M, Cheng R, Ma J, Swan G . A meta-analysis of estimated genetic and environmental effects on smoking behavior in male and female adult twins. Addiction. 2002; 98(1):23-31. DOI: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2003.00295.x. View

Mays D, Gilman S, Rende R, Luta G, Tercyak K, Niaura R . Parental smoking exposure and adolescent smoking trajectories. Pediatrics. 2014; 133(6):983-91. PMC: 4035590. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2013-3003. View

Boyle M, Sanford M, Szatmari P, Merikangas K, Offord D . Familial influences on substance use by adolescents and young adults. Can J Public Health. 2001; 92(3):206-9. PMC: 6980139. View

Melchior M, Chastang J, Mackinnon D, Galera C, Fombonne E . The intergenerational transmission of tobacco smoking--the role of parents' long-term smoking trajectories. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009; 107(2-3):257-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.10.016. View

Brook J, Pahl K, Ning Y . Peer and parental influences on longitudinal trajectories of smoking among African Americans and Puerto Ricans. Nicotine Tob Res. 2006; 8(5):639-51. DOI: 10.1080/14622200600789627. View

Hu M, Griesler P, Schaffran C, Wall M, Kandel D . Trajectories of criteria of nicotine dependence from adolescence to early adulthood. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012; 125(3):283-9. PMC: 3592202. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.03.001. View

Alesci N, Forster J, Blaine T . Smoking visibility, perceived acceptability, and frequency in various locations among youth and adults. Prev Med. 2003; 36(3):272-81. DOI: 10.1016/s0091-7435(02)00029-4. View

TRUE W, Heath A, Scherrer J, Waterman B, Goldberg J, Lin N . Genetic and environmental contributions to smoking. Addiction. 1998; 92(10):1277-87. View

Brook J, Marcus S, Zhang C, Stimmel M, Balka E, Brook D . Adolescent attributes and young adult smoking cessation behavior. Subst Use Misuse. 2010; 45(13):2172-84. PMC: 2927740. DOI: 10.3109/10826084.2010.484473. View

10.

Alves J, Nunes C, Perelman J . Socio-economic inequalities in tobacco-related diseases in Portugal: an ecological approach. Public Health. 2015; 130:36-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2015.08.008. View

11.

de Vries H, Engels R, Kremers S, Wetzels J, Mudde A . Parents' and friends' smoking status as predictors of smoking onset: findings from six European countries. Health Educ Res. 2003; 18(5):627-36. DOI: 10.1093/her/cyg032. View

12.

Munafo M, Johnstone E . Genes and cigarette smoking. Addiction. 2008; 103(6):893-904. DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.02071.x. View

13.

Alves J, Perelman J, Soto-Rojas V, Richter M, Rimpela A, Loureiro I . The role of parental smoking on adolescent smoking and its social patterning: a cross-sectional survey in six European cities. J Public Health (Oxf). 2016; 39(2):339-346. DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdw040. View

14.

Flay B, Hu F, Richardson J . Psychosocial predictors of different stages of cigarette smoking among high school students. Prev Med. 1998; 27(5 Pt 3):A9-18. DOI: 10.1006/pmed.1998.0380. View

15.

Leao T, Kunst A, Schreuders M, Lindfors P, Kuipers M, Perelman J . Adolescents' smoking environment under weak tobacco control: A mixed methods study for Portugal. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019; 204:107566. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107566. View

16.

Gilman S, Rende R, Boergers J, Abrams D, Buka S, Clark M . Parental smoking and adolescent smoking initiation: an intergenerational perspective on tobacco control. Pediatrics. 2009; 123(2):e274-81. PMC: 2632764. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-2251. View

17.

Nuyts P, Hewer R, Kuipers M, Lorant V, Grard A, Hill S . Youth Access to Cigarettes Across Seven European Countries: A Mixed-Methods Study. Nicotine Tob Res. 2019; 22(11):1989-1996. PMC: 7593358. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntz180. View

18.

Avenevoli S, Merikangas K . Familial influences on adolescent smoking. Addiction. 2003; 98 Suppl 1:1-20. DOI: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.98.s1.2.x. View

19.

Hu M, Muthen B, Schaffran C, Griesler P, Kandel D . Developmental trajectories of criteria of nicotine dependence in adolescence. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2008; 98(1-2):94-104. PMC: 2614908. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.04.017. View

20.

Brook J, Rubenstone E, Zhang C, Finch S, Brook D . The intergenerational transmission of smoking in adulthood: a 25-year study of maternal and offspring maladaptive attributes. Addict Behav. 2013; 38(7):2361-8. PMC: 3634878. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.03.008. View