Parent's socioeconomic status, adolescents' disposable income, and adolescents' smoking status in Massachusetts.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent smoking.


METHODS
We conducted telephone interviews with a probability sample of 1308 Massachusetts adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. We used multiple-variable-adjusted logistic regression models.


RESULTS
The risk of adolescent smoking increased by 28% with each step down in parental education and increased by 30% for each step down in parental household income. These associations persisted after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and adolescent disposable income. Parental smoking status was a mediator of these associations.


CONCLUSIONS
Parental SES is inversely associated with adolescent smoking. Parental smoking is a mediator but does not fully explain the association.
Soteriades
Elpidoforos S
ES
Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
DiFranza
Joseph R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000145:classification*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012923:Social Class