The smoking habit of a close friend or family member--how deep is the impact? A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess the risk of becoming a smoker in adulthood associated with parental smoking as well as the smoking of siblings and close friends.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

4 oral healthcare centres in Finland and a follow-up.

Participants

An age cohort born in 1979 (n=2586) and living in four Finnish towns. Of those reached by the 2008 follow-up, 46.9% (n=1020) responded.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Smoking behaviour at the age of 29. Smoking behaviour at the age of 13 and smoking behaviour of family members and close friends.

Results

Smoking of a current close friend was strongly associated with participants' own smoking (OR 5.6, 95% CI 3.6 to 8.8). The smoking of a close friend during schooldays was similarly associ

SUBMITTER: Saari AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3931984 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature