Background: There are well-recognised relationships between family factors - such as parental smoking - and the prevalence of youth smoking. In Taiwan, family influences on smoking were also noted to significantly outweigh peer influences. However, family influences on smoking may be attenuated by acculturation when Asian young people live in Western countries such as New Zealand.

Method: We explored the direct and collective effects of family factors and acculturation on smoking in New Zealand Asian students (n=922) who participated in Youth2000, a nationally representative survey of secondary school students conducted in 2001.

Results: Students who reported positive family relationships, and that their parents did not smoke and would be upset if their children smoked, were less likely to smoke. Factors suggesting acculturation, such as having English as the main language at home, and longer residency in New Zealand, were positively associated with smoking. Importantly, protective family influences persisted in the presence of acculturation.

Conclusions: Acculturation places young Asian people at risk of smoking, but family factors continue to protect youth from smoking in this context. Since many acculturative risk factors for smoking, such as length of residency in New Zealand, are unmodifiable, work with families offers opportunities for health promotion action.

Implications: Family centred work focused on helping Asian parents quit smoking, supporting them with communicating their negative feelings about smoking, and strengthening family relationships has the potential to protect Asian youth from smoking in New Zealand.