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Smoking behaviour change among fathers of new infants

Author

Listed:
  • Blackburn, Clare
  • Bonas, Sheila
  • Spencer, Nick
  • Dolan, Alan
  • Coe, Christine
  • Moy, Robert

Abstract

Protecting infants from exposure to parental tobacco smoke is key to positive health outcomes in childhood and later life. While mothers' smoking has been well researched, fathers' smoking has received little attention. This paper reports data from a cross-sectional survey of 286 smoking fathers in the English Midlands, interviewed when their infants were 8-14 weeks old. It examines whether fathers attempt and successfully achieve two smoking behaviours positively associated with infant health: quitting and not smoking in the home. The birth of a new baby was not associated with attempting or successfully quitting smoking for the majority of fathers. Less than 20% had tried to quit and only 4% had successfully quit smoking since the birth of their baby. Half of the participants reported that they had not changed their cigarette consumption since their baby's birth. Not smoking in the home appeared to be a more achievable behaviour for many fathers; 78.0% had attempted and 60% had successfully achieved not smoking in home. Independent predictors of attempting to quit were fathers' own cigarette consumption and level of knowledge about infant exposure to tobacco smoke. Attempting to abstain from smoking in the home and being successful in the attempt were both independently associated with partner's smoking status, number of financially dependent children and father's social class. Findings suggest that promoting reductions in cigarette consumption and improving knowledge levels among fathers about passive smoking in infants may encourage more quit attempts. Not smoking in the home is a more achievable behaviour and is linked to fathers' caring and economic circumstances and their partner's smoking status. Influences on fathers' smoking behaviour appear to be multi-factorial. Understanding father's smoking and developing health promotion strategies to protect infants from passive smoking is likely to depend on research which can bridge the caring and economic spheres of their lives.

Suggested Citation

  • Blackburn, Clare & Bonas, Sheila & Spencer, Nick & Dolan, Alan & Coe, Christine & Moy, Robert, 2005. "Smoking behaviour change among fathers of new infants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 517-526, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:61:y:2005:i:3:p:517-526
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. McKie, L. & Laurier, E. & Taylor, R. J. & Lennox, A. S., 2003. "Eliciting the smoker's agenda: implications for policy and practice," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 83-94, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Noomi Carlsson & AnnaKarin Johansson & Göran Hermansson & Boel Andersson‐Gäre, 2010. "Child health nurses’ roles and attitudes in reducing children’s tobacco smoke exposure," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(3‐4), pages 507-516, February.
    2. Damien Bricard & Stéphane Legleye & Myriam Khlat, 2017. "Changes in Smoking Behavior over Family Transitions: Evidence for Anticipation and Adaptation Effects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-10, June.
    3. Umberson, Debra & Liu, Hui & Mirowsky, John & Reczek, Corinne, 2011. "Parenthood and trajectories of change in body weight over the life course," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(9), pages 1323-1331.
    4. Bottorff, Joan L. & Oliffe, John & Kalaw, Cecilia & Carey, Joanne & Mroz, Lawrence, 2006. "Men's constructions of smoking in the context of women's tobacco reduction during pregnancy and postpartum," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(12), pages 3096-3108, June.
    5. Petra Rattay & Elena von der Lippe, 2020. "Association between Living with Children and the Health and Health Behavior of Women and Men. Are There Differences by Age? Results of the “German Health Update” (GEDA) Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Eiji Yamamura & Yoshiro Tsutsui, 2019. "Effects of Pregnancy and Birth on Smoking and Drinking Behaviours: A Comparative Study Between Men and Women," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 70(2), pages 210-234, June.
    7. Nurul Kodriati & Elli Nur Hayati & Ailiana Santosa & Lisa Pursell, 2020. "Fatherhood and Smoking Problems in Indonesia: Exploration of Potential Protective Factors for Men Aged 18–49 Years from the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-11, September.
    8. Yamamura, Eiji, 2020. "Transmission mechanism and gender identity: Smoking behavior between parents and their children of the same gender," MPRA Paper 99988, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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