Smoking onset and the time-varying effects of self-efficacy, environmental smoking, and smoking-specific parenting by using discrete-time survival analysis

This study examined the timing of smoking onset during mid- or late adolescence and the time-varying effects of refusal self-efficacy, parental and sibling smoking behavior, smoking behavior of friends and best friend, and parental smoking-specific communication. We used data from five annual waves of the ‘Family and Health’ project. In total, 428 adolescents and their parents participated at baseline. Only never smokers were included at baseline (n = 272). A life table and Kaplan–Meier survival curve showed that 51% of all adolescents who did not smoke at baseline did not start smoking within 4 years. The risk for smoking onset during mid- or late adolescence is rather stable (hazard ratio between 16 and 19). Discrete-time survival analyses revealed that low refusal self-efficacy, high frequency of communication, and sibling smoking were associated with smoking onset one year later. No interaction effects were found. Conclusively, the findings revealed that refusal self-efficacy is an important predictor of smoking onset during mid- or late adolescence and is independent of smoking-specific communication and smoking behavior of parents, siblings, and (best) friend(s). Findings emphasize the importance of family prevention programs focusing on self-efficacy skills

Mealtimes and bedtimes: Windows to family routines and rituals

While a number of studies have explored occupation in families of children with disabilities, those of typically developing children have been relatively neglected. In this study, qualitative methodology was employed to understand the mealtime and bedtime routines and rituals of families of typically developing children (less than 6 years). Ten mothers participated in a 90-minute semi-structured interview. The findings contribute to occupational science through enhancing our understanding of the nature of these family occupations as either routines or rituals, highlighting the importance of routines in orchestrating the complex demands of family life and the contribution of rituals to the emotional fabric and well-being of families. Study limitations and avenues for future research are addressed