Knowledge and Attitudes about Smoking among Children with Lung and Allergic Disorders and Their Parents

Abstract

The authors hypothesized that children with allergy or pulmonary conditions and their parents would be aware of some, but not all of the ill effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and would have negative attitudes about smoking and smoke exposure. In the waiting or examining rooms of the Pulmonology and Allergy clinics at a tertiary care children's hospital, voluntary closed-question, written surveys were administered to a convenience sample of 100 children and 200 parents attending a routine visit. Surveys measured knowledge and attitudes about smoking and ETS using a five-point Likert scale. Demographic information and personal smoking status was also ascertained. Fifteen percent of parents were current smokers (n = 30). In all, 31% of children were exposed to ETS in the household. Overall, both parents and children had basic knowledge about ETS health risks, but some gaps were found. Both had negative attitudes about smoking in general and most supported a ban on smoking in public places. Parents knew the least about how ETS affects otitis media in children (3.7 out of five) and SIDS (3.4 out of five). The authors identified significant knowledge differences between whites and African Americans and between smokers and non-smokers. The findings show that children and their parents attending pulmonary or allergy clinics have a good understanding of ETS health risks, but there are gaps. Physicians can address these by educating patients and their parents specifically about the ETS health risks most relevant to them, promoting cessation among parents who smoke, and encouraging smoking bans in the home and car.