Learning Objectives: describe the role of child hair cotinine in assessing parental report of their smoking behavior
Abstract: Background: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been shown to be detrimental to the health of young children. Parents often state to pediatricians that they, other household members, and visitors smoke outside. It is unknown whether parental report of outdoor smoking and parental knowledge and beliefs about smoking and child health correlate with actual child ETS exposure measured objectively. Cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, is deposited in hair and has been used to quantify ETS exposure.
Design/
METHODS: Subjects were a convenience sample of normal children ages 2 weeks - 3 years of both self-reported smokers and non-smokers recruited in a pediatric primary care setting. Mothers of participants answered a questionnaire regarding their child's exposure to ETS, location where smoking occurs, and knowledge and beliefs about smoking and child health. A sample of child hair was taken for hair cotinine (HC) determination.
RESULTS: HC was analyzed for 327 children; 41% (134) of their primary caregivers were self-reported smokers. Children exposed to ETS in the home had greater HC than children who’s parents smoked out of the home, which was greater than unexposed children (p<.001). Child HC was lower in children whose parents believed that 1) their smoking could harm their own children (p=.036) and 2) children exposed to ETS are harmed (p=. 016). There was no correlation between knowledge of clinical problems that occur more frequently in ETS exposed children and child HC.
RESULTS: Parental smoking behaviors and beliefs impact their children's ETS exposure as measured by HC levels.
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