The association of workplace smoke-free policies on individual smoking and quitting-related behaviours

Haoxiang Lin,Min Li,Meijun Chen,Yihua Liu,Yuting Lin,Zhao Liu,Chun Chang,Zhijie Zheng

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-12395-z

Abstract

BackgroundOur study aims to provide information about workplace smoke-free (SF) policy coverage in mainland China and to assess the relationship between workplace SF policies and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, current smoking, smoking harm awareness and quitting intention among smokers.MethodData from the 2018 Asia Best Workplace Mainland China programme were used to address these aims. This cross-sectional study included 14,195 employees from the 2018 survey and 14,953 employees from the 2019 survey. Logistic regression with year-fixed effects was applied to these data. The dependent variables were SHS exposure, smoking or smoking harm awareness. The explanatory variable was the SF workplace policy.ResultsA total of 21,275 participants (73.0%) reported working under SF policies. The overall prevalence of smoking and SHS exposure were 20.3% and 52.5%, respectively. The workplace SF policy was significantly associated with lower SHS exposure (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.45–0.51), lower current smoking employees (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.76–0.87) and higher awareness of smoking harm (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.61–1.91). However, workplace SF policy was not significantly associated with quitting intention (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.84–1.16).ConclusionOur study identified that although most companies had established workplace SF policies, the overall prevalence of SHS exposure remained very high. Workplace SF policy is associated with lower SHS exposure, lower overall current smoking and higher awareness of smoking harm. These findings provide valuable evidence to promote such policies in all workplaces.

Highlights

Our study aims to provide information about workplace smoke-free (SF) policy coverage in mainland China and to assess the relationship between workplace SF policies and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, current smoking, smoking harm awareness and quitting intention among smokers
The workplace SF policy was significantly associated with lower SHS exposure (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.45–0.51), lower current smoking employees (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.76–0.87) and higher awareness of smoking harm (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.61–1.91)
Workplace SF policy is associated with lower SHS exposure, lower overall current smoking and higher awareness of smoking harm

Summary

Introduction

Our study aims to provide information about workplace smoke-free (SF) policy coverage in mainland China and to assess the relationship between workplace SF policies and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, current smoking, smoking harm awareness and quitting intention among smokers. Second-hand smoke (SHS) contains hundreds of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, and involuntary SHS exposure contributes to premature death and causes various diseases in nonsmokers [1, 2]. The smoke-free (SF) policy is a key contributor to the decline in SHS exposure. Since China ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) [5] in 2005, considerable progress has been made to reduce SHS exposure in China, by implementing SF policies. As a result, according to the Chinese Adult Tobacco Survey, the prevalence of SHS exposure was 63.3% in 2010 [6], 54.3% in 2015 [7], and 50.9% in 2018[8]

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