title: Anti-smoking socialization: relationship to parent and child smoking status.
abstract: Anti-smoking socialization is defined as the transmission of knowledge, attitudes, and skills that prepare children to resist smoking. Three types of anti-smoking socialization are studied: parents' communication with children regarding no-smoking rules at home, health risks associated with smoking, and the disciplinary consequences of smoking. Results from a survey of children in 3rd through 8th grades (N = 937) indicate that (a) children from households where one or both parents smoke perceive less anti-smoking socialization than their peers from nonsmoking households; (b) anti-smoking socialization is positively associated with authoritative parenting; (c) children have significantly lower rates of smoking intention and initiation when parents engage in anti-smoking socialization, even if parents currently smoke. The findings offer an encouraging message to all parents Communicating anti-smoking messages may effectively discourage children from smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackson