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Background: The aims of the present study were to assess changes between 1995 and 2001 in the prevalence of child exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), attitudes towards ETS among parents of small children and awareness among parents regarding the potential hazards of passive smoking to children., Method: A questionnaire, along with a stamped, addressed envelope, was sent to a stratified random sample of 1000 households in Norway containing children aged 3 years old at the time of the investigation (May 1995 and August 2001)., Results: The prevalence of households containing smokers was similar in the two study periods. However, households reporting exposure of children to ETS fell from 32% in 1995 to 18% in 2001. Health-risk awareness had significantly increased in households containing smokers. In both surveys, the probability of children being exposed to ETS was positively correlated with the number of parents smoking, and inversely correlated to strength of health-risk awareness, negative attitudes towards ETS and length of household education., Conclusions: Increasing parents' awareness of the health risk of ETS exposure to children may significantly reduce children's ETS exposure.

Background: The Norwegian Cancer Society has led a comprehensive information campaign since 1995 with the aim of reducing young children's ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) exposure in their homes. The aims of the present study were to assess changes in parents' reporting of child exposure to ETS, attitudes towards ETS, and awareness regarding the potential hazards of passive smoking to children., Material and Methods: A questionnaire along with a stamped, addressed envelope was sent to a stratified random sample of 1000 households in Norway with three-year-old children at the time of the investigation (May 1995 and August 2001)., Results: According to parents, the prevalence of households in which children were exposed to ETS fell from 32% in 1995 to 18% in 2001. In both surveys, the probability of children being exposed was positively correlated with the number of parents smoking and inversely correlated with length of education, negative attitudes towards ETS and strength of health-risk awareness., Interpretation: The observed changes must be viewed in the light of the media focus on passive smoking during this period, a nationwide information campaign and as an artifact caused by more underreporting of a behaviour that is being internalised as in breach of a norm.

Aims: To assess attitudes towards environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and health-risk awareness regarding the potential hazards of ETS for children among parents of young children in the Nordic countries. Also to investigate to what extent these factors are related to ETS exposure of the children., Design: A cross-sectional community-based survey using an anonymous mailed questionnaire., Participants: Parents of children aged 3 years at the time of selection from a random sample of 5500 households in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland)., Main Outcome Measures: Smoking status of parents, weekly ETS exposure of children within and outside the home, health-risk awareness and attitudes regarding the potential hazards of passive smoking., Findings: Two in three parents who smoked did not recognize the increased risk for an inner ear infection and approximately 50% were not aware of the role of parental smoking in recruiting smokers. One in two smokers tended to agree or agreed that an act should be passed which forbids all indoor smoking in the vicinity of children. After adjustment for covariates, the level of health-risk awareness about ETS was significantly related to no ETS exposure within and outside the home., Conclusion: The main findings indicate that educating parents about the established health risks of ETS for their children may significantly reduce children's exposure to ETS. An increased effort is needed to educate parents who smoke on the potential health risks of ETS for their children.

Background: Health personnel make only moderate efforts at motivating parents to establish a smoke-free indoor environment for babies and infants. It is only when children show symptoms of exposure to tobacco smoke that they routinely raise the question of passive smoking during consultations with the parents. We wanted to find out why so many neglect to raise the matter when there is still time to prevent injury to the child., Material and Methods: A pre-categorised questionnaire on possible obstacles to involvement in the matter was mailed to a representative sample of 1050 GPs, the senior midwives at Norway's 77 maternity departments, 492 senior public health nurses, and personnel at 1024 mother-and-child clinics. The response rate varied from 71% (GPs) to 82% (senior midwives)., Results: Public health nurses, midwives and doctors at the clinics regard it as part of their work to talk to parents about the possible effects of passive smoking on their children's health. The obstacles are a feeling of embarrassment at raising the matter, and not knowing how to talk to the parents about the problem. Even so, a clear majority experience a positive response from smoking parents when they discuss how to prevent the children from inhaling tobacco smoke. Among the GPs the main reason for not raising the matter is lack of time, followed by embarrassment at taking it up and lack of knowledge about the health risks., Interpretation: Health personnel seem to need training in conversation techniques in this connection.

Introduction: Almost seven out of ten parents who smoke state that they have never received information on passive smoking from health personnel when they bring their children in for routine medical examination. We examined what GPs, doctors and nurses at mother-and-child clinics and midwives reported., Material and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire focusing on practice as regards the matter of passive smoking and children was mailed to a representative sample of 1050 GPs, the senior midwives at Norway's 77 maternity departments, 492 senior public health nurses, and health personnel at 1024 mother-and-child clinics. The response rate varied from 71% (GPs) to 82% (senior midwives)., Results: 70% of the personnel at mother-and-child clinics less often than "always" ask about exposure to passive smoking. 60% of the senior midwives report that the department's personnel less than "to a large extent" allocate time to talk with parents about passive smoking. 40% of the GPs and 50% of the paediatricians say that they "never" bring up the matter of passive smoking when they examine small children and do not know whether members of the household smoke or not. The rest of the GPs bring up the matter in 46% of consultations and the rest of the paediatricians in 63% of consultations. When the child has symptoms that can be associated with passive smoking, the GPs discuss the parents' smoking habits in 88% of the consultations and paediatricians in 100% of consultations., Interpretation: Only to a small extent do health personnel use their opportunities of motivating parents to change their smoking habits for the sake of the health of their children. Smoking is only brought up by professionals as a matter routine when the children develop symptoms of exposure to tobacco smoke.

Objective: To assess similarities and differences in the Nordic countries regarding ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) exposure in young children., Design: A population-based cross-sectional study comprising a randomly selected sample of 5,500 households which included a child born in 1992. Data were collected using a mailed anonymous questionnaire., Results: While the prevalence of household smoking was similar in all countries, there was a great difference between the countries with regard to child ETS exposure. Finnish parents were more likely than all other Nordic parents to protect their children from ETS and the situation was worst in Denmark and Iceland, where almost half of all households, and nine out of ten households containing daily smokers, exposed their children. Approximately eight out of ten current and former smokers in all countries stated that they had made efforts to change their smoking habits because of their children.

Objective: To assess to what extent Nordic parents strive to protect their children from environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home., Design: A cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire., Subjects and Setting: A stratified, random sample of 5500 households containing a child born during 1992, including 1500 households in Denmark and 1000 households in each of the countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden., Main Outcome Measures: Smoking status of parents, prevalence and magnitude of weekly ETS exposure, rules regarding smoking in the home., Results: 82% of current smokers reported having tried to change their smoking behaviour for the sake of their children. Of all parents who answered the questionnaire, 75% reported having introduced some rules to limit ETS in their home. In households where at least one parent smoked, 57% reported that children were exposed to ETS at home. Child exposure to ETS was most prevalent in single-parent households and in households in which parents had lower levels of education. However, these parents were not less likely than other smoking parents to report having tried to change their smoking behaviour for the sake of their children., Conclusion: Environmental tobacco smoke at home is still a problem for many children in the Nordic countries. However, most smoking parents reported having made efforts to change their smoking behaviour for the sake of their children; and in approximately half of all households containing at least one daily smoker, parents reported protecting their children from ETS exposure in the home. Although actual exposure may be higher owing to possible under-reporting of ETS, our results indicate a general awareness in the Nordic countries of the potential negative effects of ETS on children.