Effects Of Parent Smoking Habits On Thier Childs Smoking Habits
Effects of Parent Smoking Habits on their Child’s smoking habits Abstract
Parents have an influence on whether or not their children will develop smoking
habits. The findings of this study show this to be true. Further research should
be conducted to find out whether or not how many children the parents have also
has an impact on smoking behaviors. The participants of this study were random
individuals at a local convenience store ranging in age from 18 to 47. The total
number of participants was 24. Of these twenty-four individuals thirteen were
male and eleven were female. Only sixteen of the participants smoked, eight
being male and eight being female. The eight non-smokers questioned all reported
having parents who were non-smokers. In the start of this research survey, I
wanted to question high-school students at a local area high school. When I went
to conduct the research at the high school I was informed that there is red tape
involved when dealing with minors. In order to question minors at this local
high school the children would have had to have signed permission slips from
there parents, after they had the chance to read over the survey that would have
been filled out by their children. Having limited time to complete this research
project I decided that it would be in my best interests if I conducted the
research elsewhere. I also believe that having parents look at the survey might
have compromised the answers that would have been given by the children. Suffice
to say the convenience store was my second option in conducting this research.
Although my second option did reveal relevant findings, I believe that better
answers to the adolescent smoking phenomenon would have better been found in
dealing directly with teenagers. Although more research is needed it seems as if
the smoking behaviors of parents has a direct impact on the smoking behaviors of
children. Introduction Smoking rates among youths in our country has steadily
increased for years. The health consequences of smoking have been known for
years, yet people still start the hard to break habit. My question is, Why?
Previous studies have been conducted to answer this question.
Variables in these
studies have included peer pressure, advertising, and family smoking. It is the
latter of the three that this research study plans to analyze. It is said that
we are a product of our environment, so this study hopes to prove that when a
parent or guardian smokes it increases the chances of their child or children of
smoking. This question has been asked before, and it has been found by Karen H.
Smith and Mary Ann Stutts that , at least for girls, having at least one parent
who smokes is a good predictor of whether or not that child will end up smoking.
(Smith,1999). Having a father who smokes increases boys chances of smoking by
1.5 times and for girls by 3.3 times. (Research Quarterly, 2000). Literature
Review Many studies have been done on the habits of adolescent smoking.
Previously examined in separate studies were peer pressure, family smoking,
advertising and antismoking information. Bandura’s smoking environment variables
such as parental, sibling, and peer smoking habits were more important for
predicting smoking behavior in adolescents. In prior research the number one
predictor of smoking in adolescence is having at least one sibling who smokes.
In college-aged students the number one predictors having at least one parent
who smokes. These studies proved that the immediate family has a great influence
on smoking habits. There are also other factors involved in the decision of an
adolescent to begin smoking. Peer pressure is another concern. “Teens who
associated with friends who smoke and drink were more likely to do so.”(Parents
and peers influence smoking, drinking, 2001) Two types of peer pressure occur in
these studies: direct pressure and normative pressure. Direct pressure is when a
friend or a peer asks or dares and adolescent to smoke. Normative pressure is
indirect pressure such as socializing with peers who smoke. (Smith, 1999). This
type of pressure causes the adolescent to lessen the negative aspects of smoking
because they see someone they admire or look up to, smoking. College students
are not as influenced by peer pressure as are junior high and high school aged
students.
These children are at an age where peer pressure is the greatest
because it is truly when they begin to socialize without parental guardianship.
(Smith,1999). One study that was particularly interesting, was the effects of
restrictions on smoking at home, at school, and in public places. This study
concluded that restrictions made smoking socially unacceptable and inconvenient.
Banning smoking in the home, even when the parents smoke sends an unmistakable
message to teenagers that smoking is an unacceptable behavior. (Wakefield,
2000). “Children who are exposed more often to parents smoking inside the home
might have an increased likelihood of becoming established smokers.” (
Wakefield, 2000). A surprising statistic that was found is that advertising of
cigarette brands, paying attention to cigarette ads, and being familiar with
cigarette brands are not good predictors of smoking behavior. (Smith, 1999).
This study does make clear to distinguish that although cigarette advertisements
may entice some adolescents to smoke, rather it suggests that smokers are no
more likely to be subjected to cigarette advertising than are non-smokers. A
study done by Brown University stated that gender plays no role in whether or
not adolescents will become regular smokers. They also found that the rates of
regular smoking were slightly higher for adolescents who were exposed to
violence in the home. (Adolescent smoking, drinking behavior studied, 2000).
Methodology To conduct this research survey a random sample of twenty-four
people was used. The research was conducted at Economy Superette in Economy Boro
of Pennsylvania. Economy is a low crime rate suburb of the city of Pittsburgh
located in Western Pennsylvania. Economy is primarily a residential area. There
are many housing plans and local businesses. The average resident is middle
class. The research was conducted in February of 2001. A questionnaire was used
to determine smoking habits and the reasons for starting smoking.
This
questionnaire is located in the Appendix. The 24 participants were asked if they
would not mind filling out a survey. All participants were willing. Sixteen out
of the twenty-four were smokers. The research in the literature review was
on-line research of journal articles involving adolescent smoking. Info-trac.com
was the primary source of all information used in this research paper. The study
reported here was designed to test whether or not parental smoking habits had
any effect on children’s smoking habits. Participants were asked to report their
own smoking habits, how often they smoked, and on average how many cigarettes
per day did they smoke. In addition to these questions they were asked whether
or not their parents smoked, and if they had ever tried to quit. There were also
two open-ended questions at the end of the survey that asked about whether or
not they have ever known anyone who has contracted any type of disease as the
result of smoking. Analysis of Data There were twenty-four participants in this
survey. At the completion of the twenty-four surveys the findings were as
follows. Of the twenty-four people questioned sixteen smoked. Of the sixteen,
nine people reported having at least one parent that smoked. The average daily
intake of cigarettes ranged from six to a pack and a half of cigarettes per day.
T
he people who reported smoking the lowest amounts per day were also the people
that reported having parents who were non-smokers. The eight individuals who
reported to be non-smokers, all have parents who are non-smokers. Gender did not
seem to play any role on smoking behavior. Of the sixteen smokers it was evenly
distributed eight males and eight females. The non-smokers were also close in
range five being male and three being female. Those who smoke stated their first
cigarette experience between the ages of eight and twenty. All sixteen people
state that a friend had given them their first cigarette. One person reported
that his friend would steal cigarettes from his grandmother, and that they would
sneak outside and smoke them behind his shed. The sixteen people who reported to
be smokers all recalled at least one time when they tried to quit smoking. No
reasons were given as to why they wanted to quit. The methods were as follows:
All sixteen tried cold turkey, two tried the nicotine patch, and one tried the
nicotine gum. Of the nine people who stated that their parents smoked, their
parents tried the cold turkey method way of quitting. All nine of these people
stated that they did smoke in front of their parents.
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