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The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on April 26, 2006
The European Journal of Public Health 2006 16(6):617-626; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckl054
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Health inequalities

Influence of parental education, childhood adversities, and current living conditions on daily smoking in early adulthood

Laura Kestilä1, Seppo Koskinen1, Tuija Martelin1, Ossi Rahkonen2, Tiina Pensola3, Sami Pirkola4,5, Kristiina Patja6 and Arpo Aromaa1

1 Department of Health and Functional Capacity, National Public Health Institute (KTL), Helsinki, Finland
2 Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
3 Rehabilitation Foundation, Helsinki, Finland
4 Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute (KTL), Helsinki, Finland
5 STAKES, Helsinki, Finland
6 Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, National Public Health Institute (KTL), Helsinki, Finland

Correspondence: Laura Kestilä, M.Soc.Sci, Department of Health and Functional Capacity, National Public Health Institute (KTL), Mannerheimintie 166, FI-00300 Helsinki, Finland, tel +358 9 4744 8795, fax +358 9 4744 8924, e-mail: laura.kestila{at}ktl.fi

Aims: To assess the association of parental education, childhood living conditions and adversities with daily smoking in early adulthood and to analyse the effect of the respondent's own education, main economic activity, and current family structure on these associations. Methods: The study is based on a representative two-stage cluster sample (N = 1894, participation rate 79%) of young adults aged 18–29, in 2000, in Finland. The outcome measure is daily smoking. Results: Parental smoking and the respondent's own education had the strongest effects on daily smoking. If both parents of the respondent were smokers, then the respondent was most likely to be a smoker too (for men OR (odds ratio) = 3.01, for women OR = 2.41 after all adjustments). Young adults in the lowest educational category had a much higher risk of daily smoking than those in the highest category (OR = 5.88 for women, 4.48 for men). For women parental divorce (OR = 2.31) and current family structure also determined daily smoking. Parental education had a strong gradient in daily smoking and the effect appeared to be mediated largely by the respondent's own educational level. Conclusions: Childhood living conditions are strong determinants of daily smoking. Much of their influence seems to be mediated through current living conditions, which are also determined by childhood conditions. Determinants of smoking behaviour are developed throughout the life course. The findings stress the importance of the respondent's education and parental smoking as determinants of smoking behaviour. Our results support the notion that intervention on smoking initiation and cessation should be considered throughout the life course. Parental involvement in fostering non-smoking would be important.

Keywords: childhood adversities, daily smoking, education, life course, parental smoking


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