Even in a broken home, fathers can significantly reduce their adolescent children's chances of smoking by being a strong role model and spending more time with them, says a new study from Ball State.

The findings are from a study examining the long-term impact of relationships between nonresident separated or divorced fathers and their offspring, which involved 1,932 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

"Smoking is less likely if nonresident fathers spend 'quality' time with their children," said Chad Menning, a sociology professor who conducted the study. "These fathers are more likely to influence their children about lifestyle habits."

The study found that when teens are with their fathers five times a month, including overnight stays, they experience a 30-percent reduction in the probability of starting to smoke regularly. When teens spend little or no time with their nonresident fathers, the chances increase by 40 percent.

The quality of those visits also has a major impact, Menning said.

"However, we found it isn't so much the number of times a teen spends with his or her dad, but the quality of the relationship," he said. "This means a father must play a parental role, working on homework with their sons and daughters or taking them to plays, museums or events. If a child feels close to his or her father, the parental influence increases tremendously when it comes to smoking."

The study also found when nonresident fathers fail to provide support and develop a solid relationship with their sons and daughters, teens turn to their friends for advice and guidance. Teens with friends who smoked were more likely to start smoking regularly.

"This study strongly supports the notion that nonresident fathers must be involved with their children on a regular basis," Menning said. "We've addressed the financial support through the courts and legislation, but divorced fathers who are involved can play a major role in helping adolescents grow into healthy adults."

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Menning at clmenning@bsu.edu or (765) 285-4690.)