Effect of household children on adult ED smokers' motivation to quit

• Published in: The American journal of emergency medicine 2008-09, Vol.26 (7), p.757-762
• Main Authors: Mills, Angela M., MD, Rhodes, Karin V., MD, Follansbee, Christopher W., BS, Shofer, Frances S., PhD, Prusakowski, Melanie, MD, Bernstein, Steven L., MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictions; Addictive behaviors; Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Attitude to Health; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Blood. Blood coagulation. Reticuloendothelial system; Children & youth; Counseling; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ear diseases; Emergency; Emergency medical care; Emergency Service, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Female; Households; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Intervention; Male; Medical sciences; Mortality; Motivation; Parent-Child Relations; Passive smoking; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Risk assessment; Smoking cessation; Smoking Cessation - psychology; Social Class; Tobacco smoke; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0735-6757; 1532-8171
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2007.10.024

Abstract Objective We hypothesized adult parenting smokers in the emergency department (ED) have a higher interest in quitting and may be more amenable to tobacco cessation counseling than smokers without children. Study Design Cross-sectional survey study of adult smokers in 8 US academic EDs. Results One thousand one hundred sixty-eight smokers enrolled, 441 (37.8%) with household children (total of 973 exposed children). Compared to smokers without household children, smokers with children were younger (mean age, 37.4 vs 42.8 years), more female (60.3% vs 40.3%), and nonwhite (57.5% vs 44.5%) (all P < .006). Groups did not differ in nicotine addiction (median Fagerstrom score, 4 vs 4; P = .31). Parenting smokers were more interested in quitting (mean Ladder of Contemplation score, 4.8 vs 5.1 [ P = .02]), felt it more important to quit (median score, 9 vs 8 [ P = .01]), and more confident to quit (7 vs 6 [ P = .004]) than nonparenting smokers. Smoking inside the home was banned by 45% of smokers with children vs 30% without household children ( P < .001). Conclusions Adult ED parenting smokers are interested in quitting and taking steps to limit their children's secondhand smoke exposure. Asking adult ED smokers about household children may enhance motivation to quit.