Demographic and socioeconomic disparities in children's secondhand smoke exposure in the home

Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to poor health outcomes for children. The proliferation of clean indoor air policies has decreased the risk of secondhand smoke exposure to children in a variety of settings; however, many children are still exposed to tobacco smoke pollution in their own homes. This presentation will examine findings of Public Health Management Corporation's 2008 Household Health Survey, a biannual random digit dial telephone survey of 10,000 households in Philadelphia and four adjacent Pennsylvania counties, to explore demographic and socioeconomic factors among children (17 years old and younger) who are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home. Preliminary findings suggest that there are demographic and socioeconomic disparities between children who are exposed to home tobacco smoke pollution and children who are not. For example, children of color, children living in households with income below the Federal Poverty Level, and uninsured children are more likely to live in a home where someone smokes indoors. This presentation will analyze demographic and socioeconomic predictors in a large U.S. metropolitan area of children's home secondhand smoke exposure. The goal of this analysis is to ensure that interventions to reduce the risks to children associated with secondhand smoke exposure reflect the disproportionate burden of exposure suffered by children in some demographic and socioeconomic subgroups.