PARENTAL SMOKING AND ITS EFFECTS ON CHILDREN

ZORA ZAKANJ, JOSIP GRGURIĆ

Department of Pediatrics

Children's Hospital Zagreb

Klaićeva 16 10000 ZAGREB, CROATIA, Europe

Objective: In 1996, as part of “Multi-indicator survey in Croatia-research into parental knowledge and behavior concerning children’s health and nutrition”, which was an epidemiological research, a survey was also carried out, about parental and maternal smoking habits.

Methods: The method used in the survey was the “cluster method” and it included 253 mothers and 245 fathers, and the total number of children up to 5 years of age in these households was 1937.

Results: The survey showed that, in households with children up to 5 years of age, 35,2% mothers smoke and 50,2% fathers smoke.

Conclusion: The survey points out the health hazards of passive smoking before conception and all trough adolescence and shows factor that are in relation to parental smoking habits.

Maternal smoking habits depend on the degree of their education, whereas, such correlation can not be found in paternal smoking habits.

Key words: PASSIVE SMOKING, SMOKING, CHILDRENS’ HEALTH.

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