Caregiver restrictions on child access to tobacco in the home and home Smoking/Vaping bans among Black/African American women caregivers who smoke and live in Resource-limited, rural areas

Objective

This study examined relationships between home smoking/vaping bans and caregiver restrictions on child access to tobacco in the home among rural, Black/African American caregivers who smoke.

Methods

Data were from the baseline survey of a randomized trial conducted in 2020–2022 among caregivers who smoke cigarettes and/or little cigars/cigarillos (N = 188). Logistic regressions examined associations between independent variables (tobacco product-specific and comprehensive home smoking/vaping bans) and dependent variables (caregiver keeps tobacco in the home; among caregivers with tobacco at home, caregiver restricts child tobacco access at home). Models were adjusted for caregiver tobacco use, income, and additional covariates based on stepwise selection.

Results

Compared to caregivers with no bans, caregivers with full bans on cigar smoking and vaping were less likely to keep cigars and e-cigarettes at home, respectively. Caregivers with full bans across all tobacco products and no/partial bans across some products were less likely than those with lesser bans to keep e-cigarettes and “other tobacco products” (hookah, pipe, smokeless tobacco, IQOS) at home. Among caregivers with cigarettes at home, those with partial cigarette smoking bans were more likely than those with no bans to restrict child cigarette access at home. Among caregivers with e-cigarettes at home, those with no/partial bans on some products were less likely than those with lesser bans to restrict child e-cigarette access at home.

Conclusions

Interventions addressing intergenerational tobacco use among socially-disadvantaged groups may benefit by supporting the implementation of home smoking/vaping bans and caregiver restrictions on child access to tobacco in the home.