Scragg, R.Laugesen, M.Robinson, E.2009-08-192009-08-192003New Zealand Medical Journal 116 (1187), 20031175-8716eid=2-s2.0-17944385517http://hdl.handle.net/2292/4691An open access copy of this article is available and complies with the copyright holder/publisher conditions.Aims: To investigate whether parental smoking and other parental behaviours are risk factors for smoking in 14- and 15-year-old children. Methods: National cross-sectional survey of 14 930 female and 14 341 male 4th form students who answered an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire in November 2001. Results: The effect of both parents smoking on the risk of daily smoking by students varied significantly (p<0.0001) between ethnic groups, being strongest for Asian students (adjusted relative risk (RR) = 6.64 compared with students of non-smoking parents), intermediate for European (RR = 3.11) and Pacific (RR = 3.05) students, and weakest for Maori (RR = 1.74). Adolescent smoking was also positively associated with pocket money amount and living in a home where people smoked. Two thirds of daily smoking could be explained by the combined exposure to one or more of the following factors: parental smoking pocket money >$5 per week, and smoking in the house. Conclusions: Parental behaviour is a key determinant of smoking by New Zealand adolescents. Efforts that target the role of parents should be pursued, such as health promotion strategies that advise parents about the possible benefits of banning smoking in the home, limiting pocket money, and not providing cigarettes to their children.Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Details obtained from http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0028-8446/https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htmJournal ArticleFields of Research::320000 Medical and Health SciencesCopyright: New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA)14752535http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/OpenAccess