Residential smoking restrictions are not associated with reduced child SHS exposure in a baseline sample of low-income, urban African Americans

Second hand smoke exposure (SHSe) relates to many chronic and acute illnesses. Low income African American (AA) maternal smokers and their children have disproportionately higher tobacco-use and child SHSe-related morbidity and mortality than other populations. While public health officials promote residential smoking restrictions to reduce SHSe and promote smoking cessation, little is known about the impact of restrictions in changing smoking behavior and SHSe in this population. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine associations between residential smoking restrictions, maternal smoking, and young children's SHSe in the context of other factors known to influence low income AA mothers' smoking behavior. For this study, we used cross-sectional, baseline data from 307 AA maternal smokers' pre-treatment interviews completed as part of a subsequent behavioral counseling trial to reduce their young (< 4 years old) children's SHSe. Residential smoking restriction was dichotomized as 0 = no restrictions and 1 = some restrictions. Child urine cotinine provided a biomarker of SHSe. Mothers reported cigarettes/day smoked, cigarettes/day exposed to child, and intention to quit. Multivariate regressions modeled effects of restriction as the primary predictor of smoking and exposure outcomes. Maternal smoking patterns such as cigarettes per day (β = 0.52, p < 0.001) and years smoked (β = -0.11; p = 0.03) along with presence of additional smokers in the home (β = 0.10; p = 0.04), but not residential restriction (β = -0.09, p = 0.10), predicted reported SHSe. Restriction did not relate to baby cotinine or maternal intention to quit. Thus, residential smoking restrictions may contribute to efforts to reduce children's SHSe and promote maternal smoking change; but alone, may not constitute a sufficient intervention to protect children. Multi-level intervention approaches that include SHSe-reduction residential smoking policies plus support and cessation assistance for smokers may be a necessary approach to smoke-free home adoption and adherence.