Social deprivation and secondhand smoke exposure among urban male residents: A nationwide study in China

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Social deprivation is a known determinant of health and related behaviors. Many studies have linked socioeconomic factors to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. However, no studies have examined the relationship between social deprivation and SHS exposure. This study examined whether contextual social deprivation – variously based on living in a house without a car, that was overcrowded, or had an unemployed member (s) – had an independent association with SHS exposure at both individual and regional levels among Chinese residents. METHODS A cross-sectional multistage sampling design was utilized to interview subjects from 6 selected cities in China. A standardized questionnaire selected sociodemographic characteristics, contextual social deprivation and SHS exposure. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess the association between social deprivation and SHS exposure. RESULTS A total of 5782 valid questionnaires were collected in this study. Among 2930 non-smokers, the SHS exposure prevalence was 21.9% (95% CI: 19.5– 24.30). Multilevel logistic regression showed a negative association between household income, regional GDP, and SHS exposure, respectively, and positive associations between contextual social deprivation and SHS exposure. CONCLUSIONS Findings support the central proposition that contextual social deprivation must be factored into SHS exposure messages. Our research underscores the importance of reducing health inequality in controlling SHS exposure.

Secondhand smoke exposure and associated factors among city residents living in multiunit housing in Bangladesh

“…The present study revealed that the respondents from a low-income group had a higher risk of experiencing SHS exposure within MUH complexes compared to those from a high-income group. Similar findings have been observed in previous studies conducted in China, Kuwait, and the United States of America [ 31 – 33 ]. One possible explanation for this higher prevalence of SHS exposure is that households with a low income live in small flats where one room is attached to another so closely that non-smoking family members are easily exposed to tobacco smoke when other members smoke inside flats [ 34 , 35 ].…”