Norma Olvera, PhD, Health and Human Performance Department, University of Houston, 3855 Holman Street, Room 112, Houston, TX 77204-6015, (713)743-9848, nolvera@uh.edu, W.S. Carlos Poston, PhD, MPH, Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 4825 Troost, suite 124, Kansas City, MO 64110, and Augusto Rodriguez, Health & Human Performance Department, University of Houston, 3855 Holman Street, Room 112, Houston, TX 77204-6321.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess parental socialization strategies (supportiveness, control/strictness, structure, and modeling) and smoking behavior among Latino youth. METHODS: Eighty-five Latino mothers, fathers and a child between the ages of eight and fourteen (M = 11, SD =2) participated in this study. Demographic and smoking behavior for both parents and children were assessed through questionnaires. Parental socializations strategies were measured by the Parenting Dimensions Inventory. Data were analyzed using a model-building approach to logistic regression with demographic enter first, social influence and parental socialization strategies enter at last. RESULTS: 14% of the children had already experimented with cigarette smoking. Most of the fathers (84%) and 34% of the mothers reported ever smoked. Although parental smoking behavior was not significantly associated with child’s smoking behavior, siblings and friends’ smoking behaviors were. Maternal support was the only parental socialization strategy associated with child’s smoking. Children who smoked were more likely to have mothers who reported low levels of supportiveness. CONCLUSIONS: This study addresses the important issue of studying ways in family, friends and attitudes influence Latino youth smoking. A better understanding of these influences could be applied to strengthen existing smoking programs for Latino children and adolescents, which might improve the outcomes of these programs.

Learning Objectives:

• 1)Assess smoking intiation rate in Latino youth.
• 2)Identify parental socialization strategies associated with smoking initiation in Latino youth.
• 3)Identify family predictors of smoking initiation

Keywords: Latino, Smoking

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.