Support for smoke-free multi-unit housing policies among racially and ethnically diverse, low-income seniors in South Florida.

Nicole J Cook,Teina Phillips,Summer Chavez,Lucas Hollar,Lindsay Corrales,Michael Delucca,David L Quinn

doi:10.1007/s10823-014-9247-4

Abstract

Previous studies have gauged support for implementing smoke-free multi-unit housing (MUH) policies in the United States, but none have specifically examined attitudes among racially and ethnically diverse elders living in low-income MUH. We surveyed a convenience sample of elders 62 years of age and older (n = 807) across 24 low-income housing properties in Broward County, Florida in order to assess residents’ smoking behaviors, exposure to second-hand smoke, and support for smoke-free policies. The study sample was ethnically and racially diverse with Hispanics comprising more than 61 % of the population, and 22 % identifying as Black or other races. Although close to 22 % of the sample were former smokers, only 9 % of residents reported being current smokers. The majority of residents surveyed supported no-smoking policies: 75 % support no-smoking policies for individual units; 77 % supported no-smoking policies in common areas; and, 68 % supported no-smoking policies in outdoor areas. Over 29 % of residents surveyed reported being exposed to secondhand smoke entering their units from elsewhere in their building. Residents who reported having a home smoking rule were more than twice as likely to support an indoor policy compared to residents who allowed smoking anywhere in their home (OR = 2.36; 95%CI 1.25–4.43; p ≤ 0.01), and nonsmoking residents were nearly three times as likely to support an indoor policy compared to smokers (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.44–5.79; p ≤ 0.01). Support for an indoor policy was not modified by age, gender, ethnicity or race. . This study demonstrates that elders living in low-income MUH properties overwhelmingly supported the implementation of smoke-free policies.

Highlights

There is no level of secondhand smoke (SHS) that is recognized to be safe (CDC 2011; USDHHS 2006, 2014)
Residents living in multi-unit housing (MUH) with smokers are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke (SHS)
There are other studies that have assessed support for smoke-free MUH in the United States, the work we present here is the first study to examine attitudes toward implementing smoke-free housing policies among a large group of racially and ethnically diverse elders living in low-income MUH

Summary

Introduction

There is no level of SHS that is recognized to be safe (CDC 2011; USDHHS 2006, 2014). Residents living in multi-unit housing (MUH) with smokers are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke (SHS). As SHS exposure is higher among people who are lowincome and from racial minorities (CDC 2010), creating smoke-free living environments in diverse low-income and subsidized housing communities is an important public health strategy for reducing serious health hazards associated with SHS exposure. Low-income elders have a unique risk of the sequelae of SHS exposure including exacerbation of bronchitis, pneumonia, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (Helburn 2007). Non-smokers who are exposed to SHS are at increased risk of premature death and increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20–30% (USDHHS 2014)

Methods

Results

Conclusion