Children's exposure to parental smoking in West Germany

In this study, we derive national estimates of the prevalence of children's exposure to parental smoking in West Germany. The estimates are based on a national health survey conducted in 1987 and refer to those parents living in the same household as the child. Estimated prevalences of maternal smoking range from 18.9% among children aged < 2 years to more than 30% among 2-5 and 6-13 year old children. Estimates of paternal smoking prevalence are considerably higher: 33.7% among children < 2 years old and 43.1% and 46.8% among 2-5 and 6-13 year old children, respectively. The prevalence of at least one smoking household member was 49.9% among 2-5 year old children, while a clear majority of children aged < 2 years (58.8%) and 6-13 (67.5%) were living in a household with at least one smoker. For all age groups, prevalence of maternal and paternal smoking was considerably higher among children of less-educated parents than among children of better-educated parents. Given the high prevalence of parental smoking and the association of parental smoking with a variety of respiratory diseases in children, a large proportion of these diseases could be prevented by efforts to reduce smoking among parents.