Abstract
One of the sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. Tobacco consumption is a serious health problem that affects smokers and non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS), particularly children. This study aims to describe parental perceptions of smoke-free rules, to analyze parental awareness about health risks associated with children’s exposure to SHS, and to describe the prevalence of avoidance behaviors related to tobacco smoke, according to parental smoking status. This study includes 1175 parents from a representative sample of 1511 Portuguese children aged 4 to 9 years old in 2016. Parents who were non-smokers reported a higher level of agreement regarding smoke-free rules at home, inside the car, at playgrounds, and near the school entrance than smokers. A higher percentage of nonsmoking parents agreed that children whose parents smoke at home are more likely to become smokers themselves. Nonsmoking parents reported adopting more avoidance behaviors regarding exposure to SHS. The findings indicate that parental exposure perceptions and avoidance behaviors towards SHS were lower and less frequent among smokers. Health education, smoking cessation programs and smoking bans are needed to raise parental awareness and to protect children from SHS exposure.
Highlights
The 2030 agenda for sustainable development adopted by the United Nations defines17 sustainable development goals, which are an urgent call for action by all countries [1].One of the sustainable development goals is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages
The current study aimed to describe parental perceptions, awareness and avoidance behaviors regarding exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) according to parental smoking status, due to the increased risk of infant morbidity and mortality associated with tobacco smoke, and to the increased importance of achieving sustainable development goals [1,3]
The majority of parents agreed with smoke-free rules in home, cars, school entrances, and outdoor playgrounds regardless of their smoking status
Summary
One of the sustainable development goals is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages. This particular goal includes some of the following targets: to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age; to strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse; and to strengthen the implementation of the World Health. Tobacco consumption is a serious health, social, and environmental problem on a global, national and local scale that affects smokers and non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS), children [2]. Health consequences of SHS in children include middle ear infections, reduced lung function, pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma exacerbations, sudden infant death syndrome, and lifelong cardiovascular risks [4,5]. Approximately 40% of children worldwide were exposed to SHS in 2004: the highest proportions exposed were estimated in Europe and in western Pacific and southeast Asia, whereas the proportion of children exposed were lower in the Americas, eastern Mediterranean regions, and Africa [3]
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