title: Prevalence and risk factors for tobacco smoking among pre-adolescent Pacific children in New Zealand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pacific New Zealanders have a high prevalence of smoking, with many first smoking in their pre-adolescent years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify risk factors for tobacco smoking among Pacific pre-adolescent intermediate school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey of 2208 Pacific students aged between 10 and 13 years from four South Auckland intermediate schools who were asked about their smoking behaviour between the years 2007 and 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of Pacific ever-smokers (for 2007) in Year 7 was 15.0% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 12.0%-18.3%) and Year 8, 23.0% (95% CI 19.5%-26.7%). Multivariate modelling showed the risk factors for ever-smoking were Cook Island ethnic group (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.26-2.36, ref=Samoan), boys (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.14-1.89), age (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.36-2.00), exposure to smoking in a car within the previous seven days (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.67-3.01), anyone smoking at home within the previous seven days (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.12-2.04) and receiving more than $NZ20 per week as pocket money/allowance (OR=1.91, 95% CI 1.23-2.96).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents control and therefore can modify identified risk factors for Pacific children's smoking initiation: exposure to smoking at home or in the car and the amount of weekly pocket money the child receives. Primary health care professionals should advise Pacific parents to make their homes and cars smokefree and to monitor their children's spending. This study also suggests a particular need for specific Cook Island smokefree promotion and cessation resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pacific Health, School of Population Health, Tamaki Innovation Campus, PB 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. v.nosa@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Vili
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nosa
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tobacco Control Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dudley
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gentles
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tobacco Control Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Marewa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scragg
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Community Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCool
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Innovation, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bullen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D000095188:Pacific Island People