Live Poster Session: https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/98107794317
Abstract: My study investigates the association between a parent/parents’ smoking habits leading to the development of their children’s future smoking habits via exploration of data retrieved from ADHEALTH. This study involves a mixed-mode method of surveying and consists of mainly categorical variables that work together to tell a story that could potentially save lives, by surveying adolescents about whether or not their parents smoke, and later when they are adults, surveying that same group of subjects about whether or not they smoke. Overall, 4,196 subjects answered both waves of questioning which makes for my sample size for this experiment, and results of this specific experiment showed statistical significance in that there is in fact an association between a parent’s smoking habits and the smoking habits that their children develop later in life. Whether or not the subjects were diagnosed with depression was a variable that was tested as well to determine if the status of ones mental health would be a variable in their development of smoking habits, however, according to this experiment, depression was not a confounding variable in the relationship between parents’ smoking habits and the later development of their children’s. Overall, this research aims to spread awareness to new parents about how their smoking habits can negatively impact the lives, health and wellbeing of their children being that they would be more likely to pick up the toxic, life-threatening habit themselves. Additionally, this study suggests a new way to lower rates of cigarette addiction in America by encouraging all those who smoke to quit smoking before the new generation of youth enters the world.
