Parental Risk Perceptions of Child Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
Parental Risk Perceptions of Child Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
Parents who smoke regularly have lower risk perceptions regarding child tobacco smoke exposure than do others. An association between risk perceptions and home smoking behaviors is not proven and may be modified by ethnicity. At present, there are no standards for measurement of parental risk perceptions of child exposure to tobacco smoke. Identifying dimensions of risk perception which differ between smokers and nonsmokers, and between those parents who do and do not smoke around their children, may contribute to the creation of effective messages to promote child protection from tobacco smoke exposure.
Conclusions
Parents who smoke regularly have lower risk perceptions regarding child tobacco smoke exposure than do others. An association between risk perceptions and home smoking behaviors is not proven and may be modified by ethnicity. At present, there are no standards for measurement of parental risk perceptions of child exposure to tobacco smoke. Identifying dimensions of risk perception which differ between smokers and nonsmokers, and between those parents who do and do not smoke around their children, may contribute to the creation of effective messages to promote child protection from tobacco smoke exposure.