Adolescent smoking and parenting : Associations between smoking related parental behaviors and adoslescent smoking

Abstract

The main aim of this dissertation is to address the link between parenting and adolescent smoking. We address this question since the role of parents has been traditionally neglected in smoking research as well as prevention programs. Recent research has shown that the prevention of adult smoking in the long term can only be achieved by preventing smoking initiation in adolescence. The first mechanism by which parents affect their children’s smoking is through their own behavior. Parents function as important role models and parental smoking is considered to be a consistent predictor of adolescent smoking. How parents deal with adolescent smoking, however, not only depends on their own smoking but also on other characteristics such as, having control, having knowledge about whether their child is smoking or feeling confident to deal with the problem. Also parental communication skills are essential with regard to adolescent smoking. A high quality of communication has a preventive effect while raising the subject of smoking too often might do more harm than good.