Parent's awareness of, and influence on, their 14-17-year-old child's vaping and smoking behaviours; an analysis of 3242 parent-child pairs in Australia.

BACKGROUND

Vaping by young people in Australia is a rapidly emerging public health issue. Evidence shows that parental behaviours and attitudes can play a key role in influencing adolescent behaviours. Considering the health harms of vaping and evidence that it can be a gateway to tobacco smoking for never-smokers, it is important to understand whether parents' smoking and vaping behaviours influence their teenage children's smoking and vaping behaviours.

METHODS

Online cross-sectional surveys as part of the Generation Vape study, conducted in Australia in 2021/2022, were used to assess parents' influence on, and awareness of, one of their 14-17-year-old child's vaping and smoking behaviours. Participants were 3242 parents and 3242 14-17-year-old teenage children.

RESULTS

The risk of vaping and smoking uptake among 14-17-year-old teenagers was 42% (p = 0.003) and 97% (p < 0.001) higher, respectively, if their parent was an ever-vaper. The risk of vaping and smoking uptake among teenagers was 81% (p < 0.001) and 159% (p < 0.001) higher, respectively, if their parent was an ever-smoker. Parents of teenagers who have not vaped were considerably better at correctly predicting this (97% correct) than parents of teenagers who have vaped (70% correct). Compared to parents, teenagers tended to have less agreement with statements suggesting vaping is unsafe or harmful, and more agreement with statements suggesting vaping is relatively safe.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental smoking and vaping behaviours are associated with those of their children. Hence, it is important that both tobacco and vaping control policies and interventions are designed to influence behaviours of all demographics, consistent with the evidence.

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: BF reports being a member of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Electronic Cigarettes Working Committee (May 2020), receiving consultancy payment for e-cigarette policy review for the NSW National Heart Foundation (December 2019), receiving reimbursement for travel expenses to attend the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference (2017) to present on e-cigarettes and cessation and the National Taiwan University for presenting on e-cigarette regulation (2016), providing opinion (unpaid) at the Australian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport public hearing into the Use and Marketing of Electronic Cigarettes and Personal Vaporisers (8 September 2017) and leading a contract on e-cigarette regulation in Australia for the Commonwealth Department of Health (2016). No other authors have conflicts of interest to declare.