Parent’s Socioeconomic Status, Adolescents’ Disposable Income, and Adolescents’ Smoking Status in Massachusetts

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent smoking. METHODS: We conducted telephone interviews with a probability sample of 1308 Massachusetts adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. We used multiple-variable-adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: The risk of adolescent smoking increased by 28% with each step down in parental education and increased by 30% for each step down in parental household income. These associations persisted after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and adolescent disposable income. Parental smoking status was a mediator of these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Parental SES is inversely associated with adolescent smoking. Parental smoking is a mediator but does not fully explain the association.