Abstract
BackgroundPregnant women’s exposure to secondhand smoke is a very serious health issue in China. The purpose of our research is to identify factors that predict the probability of exposure to secondhand smoke among pregnant women from the perspective of a family-based open system.MethodsFrom September 2014 to August 2015, Urumqi City, Shihezi City, and Shawan County-level City were sampled according to population characteristics. A revised structured questionnaire based on family resources was adapted for use in this study. Questionnaires were collected via convenience sampling at the hospitals with the largest number of local antenatal clients. A total of 1249 pregnant women of age 18–51 years were investigated. Descriptive statistics were calculated to characterize the participants and study variables. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess the impact of family resources corresponding variables on the likelihood that participants would be exposed to SHS. Both unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR/AOR) [with 95% confidence intervals (CI)] were reported.ResultsThe secondhand smoke exposure rate found in this study was 54.6%. Having good knowledge of the dangers of secondhand smoke had no effect on reducing the prevalence of exposure (P > 0.05). Even pregnant women whose husbands who did not use tobacco or never smoked nearby had a risk of exposure to secondhand smoke [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.568, 95% CI 1.205–2.041] when the data were adjusted for age, gravidity, gestational weeks, knowledge of the dangers of secondhand smoke, location, and work status. Home smoking bans were confirmed to be an important protective factor (AOR 1.710, 95% CI 1.549–1.918); however, only one-third (33.5%) of participants reported having a smoking ban at home. Religion (mainly Islam), as a special external family resource, was a protective factor that reduced secondhand smoke exposure in pregnant women (AOR 0.399, 95% CI 0.312–0.510).ConclusionsThe effect of family resources on tobacco control should be considered in the development of effective and enduring strategies for indoor smoking bans and smoking cessation.
Highlights
Pregnant women’s exposure to secondhand smoke is a very serious health issue in China
The effect of family resources on tobacco control should be considered in the development of effective and enduring strategies for indoor smoking bans and smoking cessation
To sum up, this study found that the secondhand smoke (SHS) prevalence rate among pregnant women was at the upper level compared to other domestic regional cross-sectional studies
Summary
Pregnant women’s exposure to secondhand smoke is a very serious health issue in China. China has the largest number of tobacco consumers in the world, and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure remains a serious issue. In China, 740 million people are routinely exposed to SHS and 100 hundred deaths related every year [1]. According to the 2018 China Adult Tobacco Survey (CATS), the current prevalence of smoking for females (2.1%) is far lower than that for males (50.5%) [2]. According to the 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), the percentages of SHS exposure among women aged 15–49 years in China were 65.1% at home and 52.6% at work [3]. Nonsmoking women of reproductive age are one of the main groups exposed to SHS in China. The harmful effects of SHS have been well documented in studies conducted in China on pregnant women themselves (such as lung cancer, ischaemic heart diseases, stroke, cervical neoplasia, chronic obstructive pulmonary, and insufficient sleep duration) [4,5,6,7], and their foetuses or offspring (such low birthweight, congenital malformations, spontaneous abortion, orofacial clefts, and decreased lung function) [8,9,10,11,12]
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