Association between employer’s knowledge and attitude towards smoking cessation and voluntary promotion in workplace: a survey study

Abstract

BackgroundWorkplace smoking cessation (SC) intervention is effective in increasing quit rate but little was known about the factors associated with voluntary SC promotion. Comprehensive smoke-free legislation, including banning smoking in all indoor area of workplaces, has been enforced in Hong Kong. This survey investigated the prevalence of company’s compliance with smoke-free legislation and examined the relation between voluntary SC promotion in workplace and employer’s knowledge of and attitude towards smoking and SC.MethodsHalf (50.3%, n = 292) of a convenience sample of companies completed a self-administered questionnaire on company’s voluntary SC promotion in the workplace. Factors investigated included company’s characteristics (size, type, and number of smoking employees); employers’ knowledge of smoking, second-hand smoke and SC effects on health; perceived responsibility in assisting employees to quit smoking and smoking prohibition in workplace (smoke free policy). Logistic regression yielded adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for voluntary SC promotion.ResultsA notable proportion of companies (14.7%) showed non-compliance with the smoke free workplace ordinance and only 10% voluntarily promoted SC. Perceived greater negative impact of smoking on the company (adjusted odds ratio[aOR] 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-3.20) and better knowledge of smoking (aOR 1.40, 95%CI 1.00-1.94) were associated with voluntary SC promotion. Positive but non-significant associations were observed between perceived responsibility of assisting employees to quit, workplace smoke free policy and voluntary SC promotion. Company characteristics were generally not associated with voluntary SC promotion except white collar companies were less likely to promote SC (aOR 0.26, 95% CI 0.08-0.85).ConclusionsThis is the first survey on company’s SC promotion in the Chinese population. A notable proportion of companies was not compliant with the smoke-free workplace ordinance. Employers with a higher level of knowledge and perceived impact of smoking on companies and from blue-collar companies were more likely to promote SC in workplace. The findings inform future workplace intervention design and policy.Trial registrationThe study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02179424) dated 27 June 2014.

Effect of a workplace mobile phone‐based instant messaging intervention on smoking cessation: a cluster‐randomized controlled trial

“…Company‐level workplace support might help to increase motivation to quit smoking [32]. We have previously reported that some companies (15%) were not compliant with the smoke‐free workplace ordinance in Hong Kong [9]. Among the few (10.0%) companies that had ever promoted smoking cessation voluntarily in workplaces, most employers only adopted simple and passive strategies (e.g.…”

“…The SCPW project was organized by the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society Kowloon (LST), which is the only service provider for smokers in workplaces in Hong Kong. Details of this project have been reported elsewhere [9, 10]. The present study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Hong Kong/Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster (UW12–550) and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03142555).…”

“…Hong Kong, the most westernized city of China, has the lowest smoking prevalence (10.2% in 2019) [8] in the developed world. Very few companies in Hong Kong (10%) had ever voluntarily promoted smoking cessation in workplaces and few employers (24.1%) admitted having the responsibility to assist smoking employees to quit [9]. Our previous proactive outreach programme showed the feasibility of delivering simple, brief and on‐site smoking cessation interventions in workplaces [10], and a brief mindfulness‐based trial showed high acceptability but low engagement in female smokers from companies [11].…”

Factors associated with secondhand smoke exposure among non-smoking employees in the workplace: A cross-sectional study in Qingdao, China

“…More training for employees may enhance their knowledge towards smoking hazards and improve employees' support for tobacco control in the workplace [34], thereby promoting the implementation of smoke-free policy in the workplace. The most immediate authority at the workplace is the employers [35]. Employers support the "Qingdao Tobacco Control Regulation" in the workplace and are more inclined to devise plans to increase knowledge and attitude towards tobacco control of the employees through training program or an awareness campaign [10], reducing their exposure to second-hand smoke in the workplace, thereby reducing employees' cotinine levels.…”

Comparison of knowledge about smoking and passive smoking and urinary cotinine levels in pregnant women and their partners in Mongolia: A cross-sectional study

“…A previous study reported that persons with more knowledge of the effects of tobacco on health are associated with greater likelihood of tobacco cessation (Chow et al, 2017; Yang, Hammond, Driezen, Fong, & Jiang, 2010). Another study reported that employers with a higher level of knowledge of smoking are more likely to promote smoking cessation in the workplace (Wang et al, 2017), while pregnant women who have less knowledge about passive smoking are significantly more likely to be exposed to SHS (Norsa’adah & Salinah, 2014; Yang, Tong, Mao, & Hu, 2010). Considering these results, knowledge about smoking and passive smoking could be an important factor in improving people’s health outcomes, especially during pregnancy.…”