Parent's Depression as a Moderator of the Association Between Offspring's Depressive Symptoms and Use of Combustible Cigarettes and Electronic Vapor Products.

Studies reported a positive association between depression and nicotine-containing product use. Although parents’ depression is a salient risk factor for offspring’s depression, previous studies have not considered the influence of parents’ depression on this association. This study examined the associations of depressive symptoms with current cigarette smoking and electronic vapor product (EVP) use among adolescents and young adults, and the moderation effect of the parent’s depression on the associations. Data of 354 parent-child dyads from the Rochester Intergenerational Study were used. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Parent’s depression was a significant moderator of the associations. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with current cigarette smoking and EVP use among only the offspring of parent who suffered from depression. Depressive symptoms of both the parent and offspring should be considered simultaneously to clarify the susceptible populations more accurately and prepare better prevention strategies for young people’s cigarette smoking and EVP use.