Exposed as a Child: Attitudes Towards Smoking

Introduction: This study seeks to: 1) characterize the frequency and source of exposure to childhood secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure; and 2) identify whether there is an association of participants’ childhood SHS exposure with their current attitudes towards smoking and tobacco control policy.

Methods: A telephone interview assessing a range of SHS exposure sources within different time frames  (including childhood exposure), respiratory symptoms, attitudes towards smoking, and quality of life was completed in 279 self-reported non-smoker adults recruited from the 2011-2012 Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.  Chi-square statistics were calculated to test for associations between childhood SHS exposure status (exposed, non-exposed) and various indicators of beliefs on smoking policies, opinions on allowed indoor smoking locations (i.e. bars, restaurants, homes), and general smoking attitudes and reactions.

Results:  In this study, 60% of participants reported to have been exposed to SHS during their childhood on a daily basis, 25.8% of participants reported exposure on a less than daily basis, and 14.2% of participants reported to not have been exposed. Among those exposed to SHS during childhood, 72.1% reported being exposed at home. Childhood SHS-exposed participants were significantly more likely to report they found other people’s smoking to be annoying (p<0.05) and that smoking should not be allowed in bars (p<0.05).   However, there were no significant associations between childhood SHS-exposure status and attitudes towards other tobacco control policies.

Conclusions: The results may suggest that SHS exposure during childhood does not substantially impact future opinions on others’ smoking behaviors and policies.