Prevalence of Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Conditions in U.S. Children with Tobacco Smoke Exposure.
E Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, Kimberly Yolton, Ashley L Merianos
PMID 32861591WHAT IT FOUND
U.S. children aged 6–11 years who lived with a smoker, even if smoking was outside the home, were more likely to have reported anxiety, depression, ADHD, conduct problems, learning disability, and, with indoor smoking, speech or language disorder.
Key findings
01Compared with children who did not live with a smoker, children living with a smoker with no home TSE and children living with a smoker with home TSE had higher adjusted odds of anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, behavioral or conduct problems, and learning disability.
02Children living with a smoker who smoked inside the home were more likely to have a developmental delay and a speech or other language disorder than children who did not live with a smoker.
03The significant associations were stronger in younger children than older children.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that tobacco smoke exposure caused the conditions. All exposure and diagnosis information came from an adult caregiver, so responses may be socially desirable, recalled imperfectly, or influenced by the caregiver's own view of the child. The study did not ask about prenatal tobacco smoke exposure, so some associations may reflect exposure before birth. It did not measure smoke exposure in cars, other locations, electronic cigarettes, or dose, so exposure may be underestimated or misclassified. Some subgroup analyses had small numbers, so their associations need caution. Geographic area was not available, so regional differences cannot be examined.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied publication types indicate NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that tobacco smoke exposure causes anxiety, depression, ADHD, speech or language disorder, or learning disability. This was a cross-sectional caregiver-report survey, so it can show association but not cause and effect.