Prevalence, knowledge and education level associated with secondhand smoke exposure among never-smoking women in Inner Mongolia, Northern China

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Currently, 40.7% of women in China are exposed daily to secondhand smoke (SHS); however, research on SHS exposure among women in Inner Mongolia is limited. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of SHS exposure, knowledge about the harms of smoking and SHS, and the association between sociodemographic factors and SHS exposure among never-smoking women in Inner Mongolia, Northern China. METHODS This study was based on a survey of chronic disease and nutrition conducted among Chinese adults in Inner Mongolia during 2015, a cross-sectional study with multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. A total 2293 never-smoking women aged ≥18 years were included in the study. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data of sociodemographic characteristics, SHS exposure, and related knowledge. Questionnaires were administered by trained investigators, and the reliability and validity of the questionnaires were high. We performed descriptive analysis and logistic regression. All analyses were performed by IBM SPSS Statistics version 19.0. RESULTS Of the total, 69% of young women in Inner Mongolia in 2015 reported that they were exposed to SHS, the highest rate in comparison with older and middle-aged women. A total 49.90% of young women reported being exposed to SHS every day. Respondents had insufficient knowledge regarding smoking and SHS exposure. Compared with older never-smoking women, their young counterparts had a higher risk of SHS exposure, with an odds ratio of 2.143 (95% CI: 1.647-2.787). Education level and ethnicity were also significantly associated with SHS exposure. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the highest rates of SHS exposure were among young never-smoking women in Inner Mongolia, and women with high education levels were less likely to be exposed to SHS. Improved public health information is needed that prioritizes SHS exposure among young women in Inner Mongolia. Health education regarding SHS exposure should be widely implemented throughout communities in this region.

Predictors of smoking exposure in non-smoking adolescents in Indonesia

“…The results of this study align with studies conducted in West Africa, 9,38,40 Bangladesh, 41 and India. 42 However, the results of this study contrast with other studies, such as those in Medina, 39 Africa, 43,44 India, 45,46 China, 47 and Vietnam 48 which stated that having knowledge was associated with reduced exposure to secondhand smoke. The results of this study indicate that almost all adolescents are aware of the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke for their health, but very few take proactive action to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke as a whole.…”

Maternal Passive Smoking, Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk of Spontaneous Abortion

“…This co-exposure to malnutrition and unfavorable environment is constantly observed in some socio-economically disadvantaged groups. Explanations have been offered by past researchers that women with low socio-economic status, low educational level or unprofessional jobs are inclined to be exposed to passive smoking and vitamin D deficiency [11][12][13]22,32]. Our previous study showed that lower maternal socio-economic status (SES) was associated with higher risk of vitamin D deficiency in women of childbearing age in rural northern China [22], and low maternal SES may strengthen the effect of vitamin D deficiency exposure on spontaneous abortion risk [20].…”

“…In China, the prevalence of passive smoking for non-smoking women was considerable, reaching around 40% in the workplace, 51% in the home and even 76% in restaurants [9,10]. Women in rural areas or those who are less educated tend to be more easily exposed to passive smoking [11][12][13]. A large population-based retrospective cohort study in China indicated that women exposed to their husbands' smoking during preconception had an 11% (95% CI: 1.08~1.14) increased risk of spontaneous abortion compared with those without such exposure [14].…”