Background: Comparing the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of smokers about passive smoking in cars and homes in Queensland, based on their parental status*.

Method: 1026 randomly selected Queenslanders (84% response) participated in computer assisted telephone interviews to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviours about passive smoking in cars and homes and restrictions on smoking in a range of contexts. Approximately 40% (n=404) of respondents were parents of children aged 17 years and under, with 23% (n=94) of these parents being smokers.

Results: Smokers with dependent children have different behaviours towards passive smoking in the presence of different sub-groups (e.g. children and pregnant women) compared to all other smokers. Smokers with dependent children were more likely to report that they would smoke around children aged °Ü12 years (p = 0.005) and smoke the same amount of cigarettes as usual when in the presence of a pregnant woman (p = 0.064) compared to all other smokers. Further data analysis is underway which will seek to compare knowledge, attitudes and behaviours for smokers with dependent children to all other smokers. This will include knowledge of health effects of passive smoking, current restrictions in cars and homes and support for legislation.

Conclusions: Parental status impacts attitudes and behaviours towards passive smoking in private settings.

Implications: Evidence based interventions are required targeting smokers who are parents to change their attitudes and behaviours towards passive smoking in private settings.

*Parental status is defined as a parent with dependent children aged 17 years and under.