Mother-adolescent communication about tobacco use in urban Puerto Rican and Dominican families

Research on parent-adolescent communication about cigarette smoking in Latino families remains relatively scarce. This dearth of information is worrisome given the high rates of tobacco use among Latino adolescents and the large burden borne by adult Latinos in smoking-related morbidity and mortality. This study presents qualitative data on parent-adolescent communication about cigarette smoking in a sample of urban Latino families. The authors conducted 12 focus groups with 40 Puerto Rican and Dominican mother-adolescent dyads (N = 80) residing in the Bronx community of New York. The findings indicate that the mothers were comfortable discussing smoking-related issues with their children. Adolescents expressed a desire to discuss tobacco-related issues with their mothers, although some feared parental punishment. The results highlight a gap in parental knowledge and efficacy regarding social influences to smoke. Results are discussed in the context of developing focused interventions aimed at reducing cigarette smoking among Latino youth.