Role of grandparents in risky health behavior transmission: A study on smoking behavior in Norway

• Published in: Social Science & Medicine
• Main Authors: Sari, Emre, Moilanen, Mikko Antti, Lindeboom, Maarten
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2023
• Subjects: VDP::Medisinske fag: 700::Helsefag: 800::Samfunnsmedisin; sosialmedisin: 801; VDP::Midical sciences: 700::Health sciences: 800::Community medicine; social medicine: 801; VDP::Samfunnsvitenskap: 200; VDP::Social sciences: 200; VDP::Samfunnsvitenskap: 200::Økonomi: 210::Samfunnsøkonomi: 212; VDP::Social sciences: 200::Economics: 210::Economics: 212; Besteforeldre / Grandparenthood; Generasjonsoverføring / Intergenerational transmission; Helsepolitikk / Health policy; Kausal metodologi / Causal methology; Røyking / Smoking; Tromsø
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10037/31638; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116339

Exploring the role of grandparents in the intergenerational transmission of risky health behaviors, specifically smoking, this study aims to examine the differential influence of maternal and paternal grandparents on their grandchildren's smoking behavior in adulthood. Utilizing the Tromsø Study's unique three-generational dataset from Tromsø, Norway, we employ a control function approach. The findings show a matrilateral bias, revealing that maternal grandparents' smoking behavior has a notable negative direct effect on the probability of their grandchildren's smoking. No such influence is observed in the case of paternal grandparents. Moreover, an indirect transmission of grandparental smoking behavior from grandparents to grandchildren through parents is identified, increasing on grandchildren's smoking probability. These results underscore the necessity of incorporating the influential role of grandparents, in crafting public health policies and family-centered interventions for tobacco use.