Smoking behaviors of adults with developmental disabilities and their direct support professional providers

People with developmental disabilities are not immune from the addictive effects and poor health outcomes associated with cigarette use. Direct support professionals often play a large role in the social environments of people with developmental disabilities and the literature suggests that one's environment can influence behavior.

To examine the relationship between the smoking behaviors of people with developmental disabilities and their direct support professional providers. Two exploratory aims of the study were to assess how direct support professionals facilitate smoking behaviors and to describe the use of home smoking policies.

The Ohio Department of Disabilities' online provider search database was used to randomly select participants. A total of 398 direct support professionals completed an online survey about smoking. Direct support professionals served as proxy reporters for the smoking behaviors of those with developmental disabilities. Descriptive statistics were calculated and Chi-Square tests were used.

Findings suggest that there was no significant relationship (χ₁² = 0.300, p = 0.584) between the current smoking behaviors of people with developmental disabilities and their direct support providers. Direct support professionals were most likely to facilitate smoking behaviors by allowing people with developmental disabilities to smoke in front of them and waiting for them to finish smoking before moving on to a new activity. Approximately 46% of people with developmental disabilities were reported to have some type of home smoking policy.

Future research is needed to better understand the reasons why people with developmental disabilities initially start smoking and continue to smoke.