Abstract
Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure is high among UK Bangladeshi and Pakistani populations, reflecting higher male smoking prevalence and fewer home smoking restrictions than the general population. The Muslim Communities Learning About Second-hand Smoke (MCLASS) study explored the feasibility and acceptability of implementing SHS education in 14 UK mosques. Religious teachers (RTs) in seven intervention mosques were trained and provided with a culturally appropriate educational package. After the intervention, mosque leaders, RTs and congregants’ experiences and perceptions of the intervention were explored through interviews and focus group discussions. Delivery of the intervention varied across mosques. Facilitators and barriers included: mosque diversity (congregation size, organizational structure, educational activities, women’s role and involvement); degree of trust between researchers and personnel; and views on SHS. Most participants thought mosques’ involvement in SHS health promotion was appropriate, but the perceived importance of SHS differed. We found that a health promotion programme delivered within Islamic religious settings that engages RTs in the process of facilitation, can be acceptable and feasible, but care must be taken to explore the culture and ethos of the institution, including its organizational structure, management committee, RTs and congregation.
Highlights
Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is an important public health risk accounting for an estimated 600 000 deaths globally each year [1]
It is an important cause of ill-health in children who are at risk due to their smaller airways, more rapid breathing and more limited options to remove themselves from SHS exposure than adults [4, 5]
This study is one of the first to explore the potential of mosques and associated fora such as women’s circles, Qur’an classes and Islamic schools in the UK as settings for health promotion programmes
Summary
Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is an important public health risk accounting for an estimated 600 000 deaths globally each year [1]. In the UK, SHS exposure causes around 12 000 deaths annually, nearly 1 in 10 of all tobacco-related deaths [2, 3]. It is an important cause of ill-health in children who are at risk due to their smaller airways, more rapid breathing and more limited options to remove themselves from SHS exposure than adults [4, 5]. SHS exposure still remains highest in disadvantaged groups [12] These include South Asian-origin communities in whom rates of smoking among men— those of Bangladeshi origin—are higher than those in the general population [13]. A 2008 household survey in a deprived area of the North of England, where nearly half the population was of South Asian origin, found that smoking took place regularly in front of children in 42% of households with at least one smoker [14]
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