Early smoking in school-aged children with and without a diagnosis of asthma

Background: Research has shown that adolescents with asthma are as likely as and sometimes even more likely to smoke than their peers without asthma. The current study examined whether the prevalence of the first active smoking experience differs for children (9-12 years of age) diagnosed with asthma compared with children who do not have asthma. The association between asthma and smoking was evaluated with logistic regression analysis, controlling for socio-economic status, parental smoking and child's internalizing and externalizing behaviours. Method: A nation-wide sample of 1476 mother and child dyads participated, of which 220 children (14.9%) had been diagnosed with childhood asthma. Results: Children diagnosed with asthma were 2.45 times more likely to have taken a puff of a cigarette compared with children without asthma. In addition, the association between asthma and early smoking remained significant after including potential confounders in the regression equation. Discussion: Suggestions are provided for preventing school-aged children, especially youths with asthma, from smoking. Additional research is needed to gain further insights into the mechanisms underlying the higher likelihood of early smoking among children with asthma.