Does Mother's Smoking Influence Girls’ Smoking More Than Boys’ Smoking? A 20-Year Review of the Literature Using a Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis

Abstract

A systematic literature review was conducted to examine whether mother's smoking influences girls’ smoking more than boys’ smoking. Fifty-seven studies, published between 1989 and 2009, were analyzed using a sex and gender lens. Results indicate that mother's prenatal and postnatal smoking influences girls’ smoking more than boys’ smoking. Despite evidence that sex and gender are important determinants of smoking among adolescents when examined in relation to mother's smoking, the theoretical understanding of why girls are more likely to smoke if prenatally and postnatally exposed to mother's smoking remains unclear. Implications for future research are discussed.

RÉSUMÉ

Est-ce que le tabagisme chez les mères influence davantage le tabagisme chez les filles que chez les garçons? Une revue de la littérature des 20 dernières années utilisant l’analyse comparative entre les sexes et les genres.

Une revue systématique de la littérature a été effectuée afin de savoir si le tabagisme chez les mères influence davantage le tabagisme chez les filles que chez les garçons. Cinquante-sept études, publiées entre 1989 et 2009, ont été analysées du point de vue du sexe et du genre. Les résultats indiquent que le tabagisme prénatal et post-natal influence le tabagisme chez les filles davantage que chez les garçons. Malgré le fait que de précédentes études ont démontré que le genre et le sexe sont d’importants déterminants du tabagisme chez les adolescents lorsqu’examinés en relation avec le tabagisme chez la mère, la compréhension théorique des raisons pour lesquelles les filles sont plus à risque de fumer si elles sont exposées de façon prénatale et post-natale au tabagisme de leur mère demeure incertaine. Les implications pour de futures études sont présentées.

RESUMEN

Tiene acaso una mayor influencia sobre una hija que un hijo el tabaquismo de una madre? ¿Es más probable que la niña termine fumando a que el niño lo haga?: Un repaso de veinte años de la literatura usando un análisis basado en sexo y género.

Un repaso sistemático de la literatura fue conducido para examinar si el tabaquismo de la madre conlleva a una mayor posibilidad de que su hija fume a que su hijo lo haga. Cincuenta y siete estudios publicados entre 1989 y 2009 fueron analizados desde un punto de vista basado en sexo y género. Los resultados indican que cuando la madre fuma antes y después del parto, incrementa más la posibilidad de que su hija sea fumadora a que su hijo lo sea. A pesar de la evidencia de que el sexo y género son determinantes importantes del tabaquismo entre adolescentes cuando son examinados en relación al tabaquismo de la madre, la comprensión teórica de porque las niñas tienen más probabilidades de fumar si son expuestas prenatal y postnatalmente a dicho hábito de la madre aun no está claro. Se discuten implicaciones para investigación futura.

Keywords :

• review
• sex- and gender-based analysis
• tobacco use
• mothers
• adolescents
• girls
• boys
• prenatal smoking
• postnatal smoking

THE AUTHORS

Kelli M. Sullivan, M.A., has research interests in girls’ and women's health behavior, health promotion, parent–adolescent relationships, and gender-based analysis. In addition to working toward her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, she also works as a research assistant at the University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, on projects relating to gender and tobacco use and healthy campus development through action research. Kelli is the President of the Mental Illness Family Support Centre and is also a Director with the Social Planning Council of the North Okanagan.

Joan L. Bottorff, Ph.D., R.N., F.C.A.H.S., is a Professor in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Development, and Director of the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention at the University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia. Dr. Bottorff is also an Affiliate Scientist with the British Columbia Cancer Agency. Her research program focuses on health promotion and health behavior change in the context of cancer control with a particular focus on gender-related influences. She leads multidisciplinary teams investigating tobacco and gender (www.itag.ubc.ca) and tobacco reduction in pregnant and postpartum families (www.facet.ubc.ca). Current projects are focused on the development of gender appropriate tobacco reduction interventions for both women and men.

Colin Reid, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in Health Studies at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Reid has a background in gerontology, demography, and mixed methods health research. He has 15 years of experience in research focusing on quality of care for seniors with dementia in long-term care with extensive experience in longitudinal research involving long-term institutional dementia care residents and in instrument development. He is Co-Leader of the British Columbia Network for Aging Research and Co-Principal Investigator and British Columbia Research Lead on an interprovincial Canadian Institutes of Health Research Partnerships in Health System Improvement project (Older Persons’ Transitions in Care—OPTIC) that focuses on successfulness of transfers of seniors in residential care facilities to emergency hospital care and back to residential care.