The parental influence of betel-chewing behavior among junior high school students in Taiwan

A cross-sectional study with stratification sampling was conducted to explore the parental influence of betel-chewing behavior among junior high school students in Taichung County in 1998. The sample consisted of 2244 students in three different districts in Taichung County: the mountain line area, the seashore area; and the satellite cities area (near Taichung City). A self-reported questionnaire was filled out anonymously by the sampled students. Fifty percent of the students' fathers and 2.5% of the students' mothers are betel chewers. A higher prevalence of betel chewing is found among students whose parents are betel chewers. Also the lower the father's educational level, the higher the prevalence of betel chewing among the students. Compared with students whose fathers have more than 12 years of education, the odds ratio is 2.35 for the prevalence of betel chewing among students with fathers whose educational levels are no more than 9 years. However, parents' vocations are not related to the prevalence of betel chewing among junior high school students. Finally, students whose parents are separated or divorced have a higher prevalence of betel chewing. An effective health education program for the high-risk group students and an evaluation procedure for the effectiveness of the program is necessary to prevent the increase of betel chewing among Taiwan's youth.