Keywords: Second hand smoke exposure, SHS, Racial Ethnic disparities,
The study assessed discrepancies in the rates of smoke-free homes in single parent households associated with parental race/ethnicity. The data came from the 2010-11 (n=6,459) and 2014-15 (n=6,100) Tobacco Use Supplement. The overall rates of smoke-free homes were 82% in 2010-11 and 86% in 2014-15. The rates of smoke-free homes differed significantly across parental race/ethnicity in each time-period (both p’s <0.01). The rates of smoke-free homes in 2010-11 and 2014-15, respectively, were 80% and 86% for Non-Hispanic (NH) White, 79% and 84% for NH Black, 80% and 84% for NH American Indian or Alaskan Native, 95% and 93% for NH Asian, 77% and 81% for NH Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 77% and 81% for NH Multiracial, and 92% and 92% for Hispanic. When compared to Whites, Asians and Hispanics had significantly higher rates of smoke-free homes in 2010-11, but the difference was significant only for Hispanics (all adjusted p’s <0.01) in 2014-15. The overall rate of smoke-free homes continues to increase in the U.S. The improvements were most important among households where the parent was Black or Multiracial because these parents were least likely to have a smoke-free home in 2010-11.