Cigarette smoke exposure of hospitalised children: Prevalence of smoking in parents or carers and admission practices of health services

Abstract

AimThe aim of this study is to understand the exposure to second‐hand tobacco smoke in the homes of hospitalised children through: (i) understanding the prevalence of smoking in adults or carers and (ii) examining the health services' approach to identifying parental smoking status.MethodsThis prospective observational study consisted of two surveys: one administered to parents/carers of hospitalised children and one to health services. The first cross‐sectional survey aimed to elicit the proportion of children requiring admission to a regional Victorian general paediatric unit who live with adults who smoke cigarettes. The survey was delivered to participating parents/carers during the standard nursing admission process. The second survey was administered across 15 public health services to determine if identification of parent/carer's smoking status is a routine part of their standard paediatric admission practice.ResultsFor the parental survey, 453 responses were obtained from 782 consecutive new admissions. Nearly a third (n = 136, 30%) requiring hospital admission were found to be living with at least one parent/carer who identified as a current cigarette smoker. Of the 15 health services surveyed, only four (27%) nursing units reported routinely asking parents/carers about their smoking status as part of their standard admission process.ConclusionAdmission to hospital provides an opportunity to enhance care for children by addressing nicotine dependence within their families. Findings suggest routine recording of smoking status can be improved, to drive smoking cessation and brief intervention conversations with parents and carers of children admitted to hospital.