Roles of parental smoking and family structure for the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in adolescent smoking

Abstract

Background and aims: Among European countries, France is particularly concerned by adolescent tobacco smoking, especially in disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds (SES). We measured the respective contributions of parental smoking and family living arrangement to social disparities in smoking during adolescence.

Design: Secondary analysis of survey data.

Setting: A cross-sectional nation-wide exhaustive 12-day survey in March 2017 of French youth aged 17-18.5 years participating in the national mandatory civic information day.

Participants: A total of 13 314 adolescents answering a pen-and-paper questionnaire about their own tobacco consumption and the smoking of their parents.

Measurements: Risk ratios (RRs) were computed using modified Poisson regressions, and population-attributable fraction (PAF) was used as a measure of the explanatory roles of the different factors as mediators of SES.

Findings: Adolescents living within very privileged and privileged SES were significantly less likely to report daily tobacco smoking (20.4 and 22.7%, respectively) than those within modest and disadvantaged ones (26.0 and 28.6%, respectively). Parental smoking and family living arrangement independently explained the smoking inequalities among adolescents. After adjusting for schooling factors, the risks associated with parental smoking ranged between RR = 1.64 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.50-1.79] when the father only smoked and RR = 2.17 (95% CI = 1.99-2.36) when both parents smoked, compared with non-smoking parents; the risk associated with living in a non-intact family was 1.35 (95% CI = 1.26-1.43) and that of living outside the parental home was 1.20 (95% CI = 1.10-1.30). Apprentices and adolescents out of school had higher risks than those at school (RR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.68-1.98) and RR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.92-2.29). The contribution of parental smoking to adolescent smoking (PAF = 32%) was greater than that of SES (PAF = 9%), family living arrangement (PAF = 17%) or schooling factors (14%). The share of SES decreased from 18 to 9% when considering these mediating factors.

Conclusion: In France, parental smoking appears to be the factor that most influences adolescent smoking, followed by family living arrangement; the role of family socio-economic status is small in comparison.

Keywords: Escapad survey; Family structure; adolescent smoking; parental smoking; population attributable fraction; social gradient.