title: Parental smoking in the vicinity of children and tobacco control policies in the European region.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain patterns of parental smoking in the vicinity of children in Eastern and Western Europe and their relation to Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on parental smoking patterns were obtained from the School Child Mental Health Europe (SCMHE), a 2010 cross-sectional survey of 5141 school children aged 6 to 11 years and their parents in six countries: Germany, Netherlands, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey ranked by TCS into three level categories toward tobacco control policies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A slightly higher proportion of Eastern compared to Western European mothers (42.4 vs. 35.1%) were currently smoking in but the difference was not statistically significant after adjusting for maternal age and maternal educational attainment. About a fifth (19.3%) and a tenth (10.0%) of Eastern and Western European mothers, respectively, smoked in the vicinity of their children, and the difference was significant even after adjustment for potential confounders (p<0.001). Parents with the highest educational attainment were significantly less likely to smoke in the vicinity of their children than those with the lowest attainment. After control of these covariates lax tobacco control policies, compared to intermediate policies, were associated with a 50% increase in the likelihood of maternal smoking in the vicinity of children adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.52 and 1.64. Among fathers, however, the relationship with paternal smoking and TCS seems more complex since strict policy increases the risk as well AOR = 1,40. Only one country, however belongs to the strict group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tobacco control policies seem to have influenced maternal smoking behaviors overall to a limited degree and smoking in the vicinity of children to a much greater degree. Children living in European countries with lax tobacco control policies are more likely to be exposed to second hand smoking from maternal and paternal smoking.
authors: EHESP Rennes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, EA 4069 Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. Viviane.kovess@ehesp.fr
authors: Viviane
authors: V
authors: Kovess
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Pilowsky
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Boyd
authors: Ondine
authors: O
authors: Pez
authors: Adina
authors: A
authors: Bitfoi
authors: Mauro
authors: M
authors: Carta
authors: Ceyda
authors: C
authors: Eke
authors: Dietmar
authors: D
authors: Golitz
authors: Rowella
authors: R
authors: Kuijpers
authors: Sigita
authors: S
authors: Lesinskiene
authors: Zlatka
authors: Z
authors: Mihova
authors: Roy
authors: R
authors: Otten
authors: Ezra
authors: E
authors: Susser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D058735:Environmental Policy; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution