Nativity and Intergenerational Transmission of Smoking

Michael S. Pollard, RAND Corporation
Margaret M. Weden, RAND Corporation
Peter Brownell, RAND Corporation
Jeremy Miles, RAND Corporation

We examine the association between nativity and intergenerational transmission of smoking using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Individuals in grades 9-11 in 1994/95 are followed for eleven years. Latent class growth analysis is used to identify a set of developmental trajectories of daily smoking. Multinomial logit models are then used to predict trajectory membership based on nativity and maternal smoking. Five developmental trajectories are identified (never-smokers, occasional smokers, early starts, consistent heavy, and late starts). Race/ethnic differences in trajectory membership are observed, with whites significantly more likely to belong to most of the smoking trajectories compared to blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. Hispanics and Asian (but not black) differences in trajectory membership are attributable to the protective effect of foreign-born status (respondent or mother). Mother’s smoking history predicted trajectory membership. The protective effect of foreign-born status against the consistent heavy trajectory was negated where mothers also had smoking histories.