Parental Smoking Behavior and Childhood Cancer: A Case-control Study

Objectives: In this paper, we examine the relationship between parental cigarette, waterpipe, or dual smoking behavior and the development of childhood cancer. Methods: We utilized a case-control design (200 in the case age- and sex-matched with 400 control group). The sample was selected from 3 main public hospitals in Jordan. We used a demographic data sheet to collect background information about the children and their parents, and a structured questionnaire to assess the children's exposure to second-hand smoking. Result: Children of women who smoke on occasional to daily levels were significantly more likely to have cancer (p = .007). Also, fathers who smoke on a daily basis were significantly more likely to conceive a child with cancer compared to nonsmokers (p < .001). The regression analysis showed that women who had past exposure to smoke were more likely to have a child with cancer compared to none-exposure women (OR = 2.9). Conclusions: Children who are exposed to smoking by family members during pregnancy are significantly more likely to develop cancer. Furthermore, children who are exposed to waterpipe and cigarette smoking combined during their neonatal period have a higher chance of developing cancer.