Prevalence of passive smoking among adolescents in relation to the education and socioeconomic status of parents in Isfahan, Iran

Active and passive exposure to tobacco smoke are important causes of mortality, and the American Heart Association has formally concluded that passive smoking is an important risk factor for heart disease in both adults and children. Therefore, we conducted a survey of the prevalence of passive smoking by Isfahan adolescents (14–18 years) and related it to the parent’s socioeconomic status, level of education and place of exposure. A total of 860 high-school students were selected randomly from schools which were selected randomly in the city. A questionnaire elicited information on the number of cigarettes smoked at home by the parents, the rooms in which smoking took place, the amount of time the adolescent was exposed to smoking either inside or outside the home and the socioeconomic status and level of education of both parents.