Teenagers whose fathers have "one on one conversations" with them are less likely to take up smoking, according to a new study from the Cardiff University School of Medicine.

• Dr. James Rice and his colleagues followed 3,500 children ages 11 to 15 years old, who were part of a three-year study called the British Youth Panel Survey.
  
• At the beginning of the study, none of the participants were smokers.
  
• Three years later, Dr. White found that teens who had regular talks with their fathers were less likely to smoke, after eliminating factors such as arguments with family members, how often the family ate meals together, and so forth.

"This study suggests that a greater awareness of parents' and especially fathers' potential impact upon their teenagers' choices about whether to smoke is needed," said Dr. White, presenting the research before the British Psychological Society's annual conference. "The impact of teenage parenting is relatively un-researched and further research is very much needed."

Labels: tobacco use, smoking

Posted By: Aspen/CRC