Sources, locations, and predictors of environmental tobacco smoke exposure among young children from inner-city families.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to determine the levels, sources, and locations of and influential factors for exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among pediatric patients from inner-city families.

METHOD

Descriptive and associative analysis of ETS exposure in children 6 to 10 years of age was performed with survey data collected at Children's Hospital of Michigan through mothers' report and children's urine cotinine.

RESULTS

The sample included 397 participants, 82.4% of whom were African American. Urine cotinine levels were correlated with reported ETS exposure and 71% of children with urine cotinine levels > 10 ng/mL. The mean duration of ETS exposure was 14.3 minutes (SD = 11.0) in the past week and 58.9 minutes (SD = 50.8) in the past month. Smoking parents (∼30%), grandparents (∼30%), and non-family members (∼28%) were the major ETS sources, and relatives' homes (∼40%), the children's own homes (∼24%), automobiles (∼15%), and friends' homes (∼11%) were the main ETS locations. Child ETS exposure was inversely correlated with having a non-single mother, maternal education, income, use of prenatal preventive care, and satisfactory parenting.

DISCUSSION

ETS exposure in inner-city children was prevalent. Findings of this study may aid pediatric practitioners and public health workers in providing targeted interventions.