Secondhand Smoke and Women’s Cognitive Function in China

Abstract

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is known to be harmful to health. However, the association between household SHS and cognitive function among middle-aged and older women in China is understudied. Lagged dependent variable regression was used to examine the association between household SHS exposure and the cognitive function of married women who had been exposed to SHS, using data from 2 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2013). Controlling for age, educational attainment, geographic residence, household expenditures, and chronic conditions (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, and depressive symptoms), the results indicated that longer SHS exposure was associated with a greater decline in memory over 2 years. After comparing differences across age groups, this pattern was significant for women aged 55-64 years. Furthermore, those who were illiterate, lived in rural areas, and reported depressive symptoms had a greater decline in memory. With evidence linking household SHS exposure with a higher risk of cognitive decline, effective education and public health intervention programs are urgently needed. Stronger tobacco control regulations and education about the dangers of household SHS are viable strategies to reduce the impending dementia epidemic in China.

Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission

“…One study indicated that in women aged 55–64 years, second-hand smoke exposure was associated with more memory deterioration and the risk increased with exposure duration even after controlling for other confounding factors. 115 …”

Social isolation, rather than loneliness, is associated with cognitive decline in older adults: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

“…McArdle et al (2007)'s study of the HRS data suggested two factors to adequately capture cognitive function (McArdle, Fisher, & Kadlec, 2007). Following McArdle et al and based upon previous studies using the CHARLS data(Lei, Hu, McArdle, Smith, & Zhao, 2012;Pan, Luo, &…”

Impact of secondhand smoke exposure on cognitive function among middle-aged and older women in China: findings from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

“…This study builds on previous findings that SHS was associated with poor cognitive performance, especially in children, adolescents and adults. 17 We found that having a high educational level, living in an urban area and having better baseline cognitive function would improve their cognitive performance. The episodic memory score of participants with diabetes at baseline decreased by 0.172 points compared with those without diabetes, which is similar to previous findings.…”

“…21 Another longitudinal ageing study in China on those aged ≥50 years (N=4809) found that never-smokers exposed to the highest levels of SHS (salivary cotinine concentrations of 0.8-13.5 ng/mL) were more likely to be cognitively impaired (OR=1.70) than those exposed to little or no SHS. 17 Attention, which referred to the ability to concentrate and focus on specific stimuli, slightly declined in later life. 12 Orientation was one's ability to identify the exact date, month, day and season of the year.…”

“…Figure drawing was tested by asking the participants to reproduce a picture of two overlapped pentagons in CHARLS questionnaires. 17 It was used to measure a person's ability to identify visual and spatial relationships among objects. The Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status (TICS) was a screening test, including serial subtractions of 7 from 100 (up to five times), date (month, day, and year and season) and the day of the week.…”