PW01-212 - Correlates of home smoking restrictions among Lithuanian adult smokers

Objective The aim of study was to estimate the relationships among smoking/quitting behavior, having a smoke-free home and a number of social variables, including perceived family pressure to quit, the presence of adult non-smokers and children in the household, and belief in the harmfulness of secondhand smoke. Methods The study analyses data from Lithuanian adult population health behavior surveys, performed in period of 1994- 2008. For every survey the national random sample of 3000 inhabitants aged 20-64 was taken from the National Population Register. The study material was collected through mailed questionnaires covering smoking habits, sociodemographic characteristics. Results 65% of current smokers reported living in a home with a total smoking ban, 35% reported having no restrictions on smoking in the home. Report of a recent quit attempt and intention to quit were associated with family preference that the smoker not smoke. Smoke-free homes appear to prolong time to relapse following cessation. Male smokers were more likely than females to report smoke-free homes, and such reports decreased with age. Smokers were nearly 5 times more likely to report smoke-free homes if they lived with a non-smoking adult and child compared to when there was no child or adult nonsmoker in the household, and over 4 times more likely to report a smoke-free home if they believed in the harmfulness of secondhand smoke. Conclusions Social influences, especially at the family level, motivate smokers to modify smokers’ behavior in ways that would help them quit and stay quit.