Two family influence measures were significantly protective among all three groups for ever smoking or recent smoking. Higher connectedness (Y) significantly lowered the odds of being an ever-smoker compared with being a never-smoker by 20% in Whites and by 40% in Blacks and Hispanics. Similarly, higher monitoring selleck chemicals llc (P) lowered the odds of being a recent smoker by 30% in Whites and by 50% in Hispanics and Blacks. Three family influence measures and one antismoking parenting measure: higher connectedness (P), monitoring (P), and attitudes toward monitoring (P), significantly lowered the odds of being a recent smoker and to a varying degree an ever-smoker in both Whites and Blacks. Monitoring (Y), intention to monitor (P), and punishment (P) significantly lowered the odds of being a recent smoker in both Whites and Hispanics.

Of note, there was significant correlation, ��.3, within the monitoring variables, specifically, between parental intention to monitor and parental attitude toward monitoring (r = .45), parental intention to monitor and parental punishment (r = .32), parental intention to monitor and parental monitoring (r = .45), parental monitoring and parental attitude toward monitoring (r = .40), parental connectedness and parental attitude toward monitoring (r = .34), and youth connectedness and youth monitoring (r = .38). Discussion Recent research supports the premise that family factors are protective against youth smoking (Dornelas et al., 2005; Griesler & Kandel, 1998; Jackson & Henriksen, 1997; Sargent & Dalton, 2001; Siddiqui et al.

, 1999; Simons-Morton, Chen, Abroms, & Haynie, 2004). Much of this research is constrained by the evaluation of a limited range of family factors in samples that were not ethnically diverse. The aims of this study were to determine the sociodemographics, prevalence of smoking, and relative impact of prosmoking influences and family factors, some of which have not Brefeldin_A been previously evaluated, on concurrent smoking behavior among cross-sectional cohorts of Black, Hispanic, and White youth using NSPY data. The following major patterns in the rates and impact of family factors on smoking behavior were noted: (a) Recent smoking rates were higher in White youth compared with Hispanic and Black youth. (b) Black and Hispanics had a higher proportion of risk factors known to be associated with smoking, but the prosmoking influences of parental smoking and peer smoking were higher in Whites. (c) All family influence variables were protective against recent smoking in Whites. (d) Controlling for other factors, higher levels of family influences and parental punishment were protective against ever smoking and recent smoking in all three racial/ethnic groups.