Abstract
INTRODUCTIONSecondhand (SHS) smoke exposure has caused various health problems. Therefore, continuous monitoring of SHS exposure is important to determine the efficacy of various anti-tobacco measure implemented. The study aims to compare the prevalence and factor(s) associated with SHS exposure among secondary school-going adolescents in Malaysia during 2012 and 2017.METHODSWe derived data from the Global School Health Survey (GSHS) 2012 and GSHS 2017, which was carried out in Malaysia using multistage sampling to select representative samples of secondary school-going adolescents. Both surveys used similar questionnaires to measure SHS exposure. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the prevalence and factors associated with SHS exposure.RESULTSApproximately four in ten respondents were exposed to SHS in the past week in both surveys (41.5% in GSHS 2012 and 42.0% in GSHS 2017, respectively). Both surveys revealed a significantly higher SHS exposure among respondents who smoked than among non-smokers and higher among males compared to females. The likelihood of SHS exposure in both surveys was also similar, with a higher likelihood of SHS exposure among smoking adolescents and non-smoking adolescents who had at least one smoking parent/guardian, regardless of their own smoking status. Male adolescents had a higher risk of SHS exposure compared to their female counterparts. Meanwhile, SHS risk also increased with age, regardless of smoking status.CONCLUSIONSOur findings suggested that there were no changes in the prevalence of SHS exposure and recorded only a slight change in the factors associated with exposure to SHS among school-going adolescents in Malaysia between the years 2012 and 2017. A more pro-active, extensive and comprehensive programme should be implemented to address the problem of SHS exposure. Parents should be advised to stop smoking or abstain from smoking in the presence of their children, and smoking cessation interventions are necessary for smoking adolescents and their parents.
Highlights
Secondhand (SHS) smoke exposure has caused various health problems
Our study found that the prevalence and odds of exposure to SHS were significantly higher among school-going adolescents who have at least one parent/guardian who smokes; this finding is in congruence with the study of Sumarni et al.[16] and systematic review by Orton et al.[35]
We found that the rate of SHS exposure among adolescents from Malay ethnicity was significantly high compared to their counterpart of non-Malays; the high prevalence of smoking among Malay adults and youth[31,38] may be a possible explanation for the findings in our study
Summary
Secondhand (SHS) smoke exposure has caused various health problems. continuous monitoring of SHS exposure is important to determine the efficacy of various anti-tobacco measure implemented. METHODS We derived data from the Global School Health Survey (GSHS) 2012 and GSHS 2017, which was carried out in Malaysia using multistage sampling to select representative samples of secondary school-going adolescents Both surveys used similar questionnaires to measure SHS exposure. SHS exposure has been shown to delay the neurodevelopment of youth and is significantly associated with poor academic achievement and neurocognitive performance among youth[5]. It is caused lower respiratory illnesses middle ear disease in children, cough, phlegm, wheeze, and breathlessness among children of school age, ever having asthma, low birthweight, and a lower level of lung function during childhood[6,7]. Reducing SHS exposure are among the objectives stipulated in the national strategic plan for tobacco control in Malaysia[11]
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