IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i12p6489-d575782.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Early Language Difficulties among U.S. Children

Author

Listed:
  • Dylan B. Jackson

    (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA)

  • Alexander Testa

    (Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA)

Abstract

Objective : Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is a serious public health concern with the potential to interfere with various components of healthy child development. Even so, there has been limited nationally representative research investigating these connections. The current study examines the relationship between ETS and language difficulties among toddlers and preschool-aged children in the United States. Method : Data are derived from the 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health and facilitate strategic comparisons between different forms of ETS—namely, children who live with family members who smoke vs. children whose family members smoke inside the housing unit. Results : The findings reveal a robust association between family members smoking inside the housing unit and both receptive and expressive language difficulties, but only among male children. After adjusting for covariates, smoking inside the housing unit is associated with a 182% increase in the rate of early composite language difficulties among male children. These associations persist even when compared to male children who live with smoking family members who do not smoke inside the housing unit. Conclusions : The findings suggest a need for interventions designed to reduce ETS in households with young children and increase targeted language skill training for vulnerable children in an effort to enhance child development and well-being. To maximize this effort, we advocate for interdisciplinary teams, including medical and public health practitioners, educators, and researchers, to work together to develop and implement evidence-based strategies to limit ETS in homes and facilitate healthy language development among young children.

Suggested Citation

  • Dylan B. Jackson & Alexander Testa, 2021. "Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Early Language Difficulties among U.S. Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-15, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6489-:d:575782
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6489/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6489/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kerry Danahy Ebert, 2017. "Convergence between parent report and direct assessment of language and attention in culturally and linguistically diverse children," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Ludmila Sevcikova & Jana Babjakova & Jana Jurkovicova & Martin Samohyl & Zuzana Stefanikova & Erika Machacova & Diana Vondrova & Etela Janekova & Katarina Hirosova & Alexandra Filova & Michael Weitzma, 2018. "Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Relation to Behavioral, Emotional, Social and Health Indicators of Slovak School Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-13, June.
    3. Kinga Polanska & Wojciech Hanke & Natalia Pawlas & Ewelina Wesolowska & Agnieszka Jankowska & Marta Jagodic & Darja Mazej & Jolanta Dominowska & Mariusz Grzesiak & Fiorino Mirabella & Flavia Chiarotti, 2018. "Sex-Dependent Impact of Low-Level Lead Exposure during Prenatal Period on Child Psychomotor Functions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-11, October.
    4. Reem M. Ghandour & Kristin Anderson Moore & Kelly Murphy & Christina Bethell & Jessica R. Jones & Robin Harwood & Jessica Buerlein & Michael Kogan & Michael Lu, 2019. "School Readiness among U.S. Children: Development of a Pilot Measure," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(4), pages 1389-1411, August.
    5. Kegler, M.C. & Bundy, L. & Haardörfer, R. & Escoffery, C. & Berg, C. & Yembra, D. & Kreuter, M. & Hovell, M. & Williams, R. & Mullen, P.D. & Ribisl, K. & Burnham, D., 2015. "A minimal intervention to promote smoke-free homes among 2-1-1 callers: A randomized controlled trial," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 105(3), pages 530-537.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dylan B. Jackson & Alexander Testa & Daniel C. Semenza & Michael G. Vaughn, 2021. "Parental Incarceration, Child Adversity, and Child Health: A Strategic Comparison Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Carolyn M. Reyes-Guzman & Minal Patel & Teresa W. Wang & Nalini Corcy & Dana Chomenko & Beth Slotman & Robert E. Vollinger, 2023. "Disparities in Smokefree and Vapefree Home Rules and Smokefree Policy Attitudes Based on Housing Type and Cigarette Smoking Status, United States, 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(14), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Claire J. McCartan & Jennifer Roberts & Julie‐Ann Jordan, 2023. "Centre‐based early education interventions for improving school readiness: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), December.
    4. Magdalena Janc & Agnieszka Jankowska & Monika Weteska & Agnieszka Brzozowska & Wojciech Hanke & Joanna Jurewicz & Mercè Garí & Kinga Polańska & Joanna Jerzyńska, 2022. "REPRO_PL-Polish Mother and Child Cohort—Exposure, Health Status, and Neurobehavioral Assessments in Adolescents—Design and Cohort Update," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-16, October.
    5. Escoffery, Cam & Bundy, Lujca & Haardoerfer, Regine & Berg, Carla J. & Savas, Lara S. & Williams, Rebecca S. & Kegler, Michelle C., 2016. "A process evaluation of an intervention to promote home smoking bans among low income households," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 120-125.
    6. K. Purdam & P. Troncoso & A. Morales-Gomez & G. Leckie, 2024. "Local Geographic Variations in Children’s School Readiness - A Multilevel Analysis of the Development Gaps in England," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 145-176, February.
    7. Carmela Protano & Vittoria Cammalleri & Arianna Antonucci & Alexandra Sabina Ungureanu & Francesa Santilli & Stefano Martellucci & Vincenzo Mattei & Matteo Vitali, 2019. "Further Insights on Predictors of Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure during the Pediatric Age," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-11, October.
    8. Jackson, Dylan B. & Testa, Alexander & Turney, Kristin, 2022. "Unpacking the connection between parental incarceration and parenting stress: The mediating role of child health and health care strains," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    9. Aleksandra Fucic & Mirta Starcevic & Nada Sindicic Dessardo & Drago Batinic & Sasa Kralik & Jure Krasic & Nino Sincic & Damir Loncarevic & Vedrana Guszak, 2020. "The Impact of Mother’s Living Environment Exposure on Genome Damage, Immunological Status, and Sex Hormone Levels in Newborns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-12, May.
    10. Monika A. Zielinska & Jadwiga Hamulka & Iwona Grabowicz-Chądrzyńska & Joanna Bryś & Aleksandra Wesolowska, 2019. "Association between Breastmilk LC PUFA, Carotenoids and Psychomotor Development of Exclusively Breastfed Infants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Michael J. Parks & Michelle C. Kegler & John H. Kingsbury & Iris W. Borowsky, 2020. "Reducing Socioeconomic Disparities in Comprehensive Smoke-Free Rules among Households with Children: A Pilot Intervention Implemented through a National Cancer Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-14, September.
    12. Chan, Stephanie W.Y. & Rao, Nirmala & Cohrssen, Caroline & Richards, Ben, 2021. "Predicting child outcomes in Bhutan: Contributions of parenting support and early childhood education programmes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    13. Halina B. Röllin & Kalavati Channa & Bukola Olutola & Claudina Nogueira & Jon Ø. Odland, 2020. "In Utero Exposure to Aluminium and Other Neurotoxic Elements in Urban Coastal South African Women at Delivery: An Emerging Concern," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-17, March.
    14. Els C. van Wijk & Regina I. Overberg & Anton E. Kunst & Janneke Harting, 2019. "Opportunities for Tailored Support to Implement Smoke-Free Homes: A Qualitative Study among Lower Socioeconomic Status Parents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6489-:d:575782. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.