Household Secondhand Smoke Exposure Research Articles

Recent tobacco smoking, restaurant and in-car secondhand smoke exposure are associated with depressive symptoms among young adults: a population-based cross-sectional analysis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between recent tobacco smoking, household secondhand smoke exposure, confined space secondhand smoke exposure and depressive symptoms in young adults after adjustments for each other. Data from NHANES 2013–2018 were extracted. A total of 4129 young adults age 18–35 years (mean age 26.11 ± 5.39 years, 2021 males and 2108 females) were included. Depressive symptoms were screened by PHQ-9. Recent tobacco smoking was assessed through question “smoked tobacco in the last 5 days?”. Household secondhand smoke exposure was assessed through question “living with a smoker who smoked inside the house?”. Confined space secondhand smoke exposure was assessed by SSEQ. Binary logistic regression models were performed to analyze the associations. Significant association were observed in recent tobacco smoking (OR = 1.593, 95% CI 1.318–1.926) and confined space secondhand smoke exposure (OR = 1.399, 95% CI 1.185–1.651), but not in household secondhand smoke exposure (P = 0.108). Among the different settings of confined space secondhand smoke exposure, restaurant (OR = 1.732, 95% CI 1.120–2.678) and in-car (OR = 1.350, 95% CI 1.102–1.652) exposure were significantly associated with depressive symptom after after fully adjustments.

Association between exposure to tobacco information through mass media, smoking households and secondhand smoke exposure in adolescents: Survey data from South Korea.

To explore the current situation of exposure of Korean adolescents to secondhand smoke (SHS) in households our study aimed to determine the relationship between family member smoking status, exposure to tobacco information through mass media, and household SHS exposure. The present study uses pooled data from the Korean adolescent health behavior online survey conducted in 2015, 2018 and 2021, with 157944 participants. The regression models were used to explore the association between the smoking status of households, and exposure to tobacco information through mass media, and household SHS exposure in adolescents, controlling for potential confounding factors. SHS exposure duration of Korean adolescents in households was 0.88 days per week. The households with smokers including the father (β=1.087; 95% CI: 1.0-1.126), mother (β=1.461; 95% CI: 1.379- 1.543), siblings (β=0.545; 95% CI: 0.493-0.597), grandparents (β=0.224; 95% CI: 0.174-0.272), and other relatives (β=0.170; 95% CI: 0.126-0.214), showed a positive association with SHS exposure in adolescents within the household. At the same time, information about anti-smoking ads on television (β= -0.042; 95% CI: -0.069 - -0.015) and public transportation (β= -0.031; 95% CI: -0.054 - -0.010), showed a negative association with SHS exposure in adolescents. However, broadcasts, online, and newspaper non-smoking ads were not associated with SHS exposure (p>0.05). In addition, regression models revealed that exposure to cigarette advertising in magazines (β=0.131; 95% CI: 0.097-0.166), networks (β=0.151; 95% CI: 0.127-0.175), convenience stores (β=0.061; 95% CI: 0.035-0.087), and supermarkets (β=0.133; 95% CI: 0.108-0.158) is associated with SHS exposure in adolescents. Finally, our study showed stronger ties between SHS exposure, family smoking, and tobacco ads in girls. The link between maternal smoking, supermarket ads, and adolescent SHS exposure intensified in 2021 compared to 2015. Family and media were identified as potential factors associated with SHS exposure in adolescents. Therefore, publicity and education regarding household SHS hazards, and smoking bans in media, can be helpful in protecting adolescents from SHS.

Decrease in household secondhand smoking among Korean adolescents associated with smoke-free policies: grade-period-cohort and interrupted time series analyses.

Smoke-free areas have expanded and related campaigns have been implemented since 1995 in Korea. As a result, household secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has decreased over the past 15 years. We assessed the cohort effect, the effect of a 2008 campaign on household SHS exposure, and the impact of a complete smoking ban in public places along with increased penalties, as implemented in December 2011. Nationally representative cross-sectional 15-wave survey data of Korean adolescents were used. The 810,516 participants were classified into 6 grade groups, 15 period groups, and 20 middle school admission cohorts. An age-period-cohort analysis, conducted with the intrinsic estimator method, was used to assess the cohort effect of household SHS exposure, and interrupted-time series analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of the smoke-free policy and the campaign. For cohorts who entered middle school from 2002 to 2008, the risk of household SHS exposure decreased among both boys and girls. Immediately after implementation of the smoke-free policy, the prevalence of household SHS exposure by period decreased significantly for boys (coefficient, -8.96; p<0.05) and non-significantly for girls (coefficient, -6.99; p=0.07). After the campaign, there was a significant decrease in household SHS exposure by cohort among boys, both immediately and post-intervention (coefficient, -4.84; p=0.03; coefficient, -1.22; p=0.02, respectively). A school-admission-cohort effect was found on household SHS exposure among adolescents, which was associated with the smoke-free policy and the campaign. Anti-smoking interventions should be implemented consistently and simultaneously.

Association between secondhand smoke exposure across the life course and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults

BackgroundThere are limited data on the association between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure across the life course and depressive symptoms among older adults. We aimed to investigate the association of childhood household SHS exposure, adulthood household SHS exposure, lifetime social SHS exposure, and their coexistence with depressive symptoms in older adults. MethodsData were from the 2011–2012 and 2014 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. About 4000 participants (aged 60 years or older) were recruited in a randomly selected half of the counties and cities in China. Data on SHS exposure, past-year depressive symptoms, and covariates were collected using a questionnaire. The chi-square test (for categorical variables) and t-test (for continuous variables) were used to assess differences in the participant characteristics across groups of SHS exposures. We estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of depressive symptom according to different types of SHS exposure. ResultsChildhood household SHS exposure (OR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.22–1.66), adulthood household SHS exposure (OR = 1.41, 95%CI = 1.21–1.63) and lifetime social SHS exposure (OR = 1.35, 95%CI = 1.14–1.58) were associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms. Additionally, those with a higher SHS exposure score had higher odds of depressive symptoms (1 point: OR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.22–2.00; 2 points: OR = 1.77, 95%CI = 1.39–2.25; 3 points: OR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.45–2.31). The results were similar when stratified by lifetime nonsmoking, former smoking, and current smoking. LimitationsRetrospective design may introduce recall bias. ConclusionsSHS exposure was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms in older adults, with the effect seeming to be addictive.

Trends in adolescent secondhand smoke exposure at home over 15 years in Korea: Inequality by parental education level.

Low parental education level and parental smoking are major risk factors for household secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among adolescents. We investigated the trend in household SHS exposure according to sex, school, and parental education level to determine whether the decline in household SHS exposure over time depends on parental education level. We used cross-sectional Korea Youth Risk Behavior datasets (2006-2020; 806829 subjects were eligible). We applied binary logistic regression to assess household SHS exposure trends and evaluated the interaction between period and parental education level. Household SHS exposure over 15 years has declined. The difference (0.121) was the smallest for male middle school students with low-educated parents. The slope for the estimated probability of household SHS exposure among students with high-educated parents was steeper than that for those with low-educated parents, except for female high school students (difference=0.141). Students with low-educated parents were at higher risk of household SHS exposure (male middle school students, adjusted odds ratio, AOR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.47-1.56; male high school students, AOR=1.42; 95% CI: 1.38-1.47; female middle school students, AOR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.58-1.67; female high school students, AOR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.57-1.67). The interaction between parental education level and period was significant. We also found a significant interaction between parental education level and parental smoking (other × present interaction, AOR=0.64; 95% CI: 0.60-0.67; low-low × present interaction, AOR=0.89; 95% CI: 0.83-0.95). Changes in parental education level over time mainly contributed to changes in adolescents' household SHS exposure. Adolescents with low-educated parents were at higher risk of household SHS exposure, with a slower decline. These gaps must be considered when creating and implementing interventions. Campaigns and community programs to prevent household SHS need to be emphasized among vulnerable adolescents.

Association between Early Childhood Vitamin D Status and Age 6-Year Lung Function among Children with a History of Severe Bronchiolitis in Infancy.

Improving lung health in children requires understanding the risk factors for decreased lung function. Our objective was to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and lung function in children. We analyzed data from a prospective cohort of infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis (severe bronchiolitis), a group at high risk for developing childhood asthma. Children were followed longitudinally, and 25(OH)D and spirometry testing were conducted at ages 3 and 6, respectively. We used a multivariable linear regression adjusted for race/ethnicity, annual household income, premature birth, and secondhand smoke exposure to examine the association between serum 25(OH)D level and primary outcomes (percent predicted [pp] of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and the forced vital capacity (FVC)) and secondary outcome (FEV1pp/FVCpp). Serum 25(OH)D level and age 6 spirometry were available for 363 children. In adjusted analyses comparing the highest quintile (Q5) of serum 25(OH)D (median 37 ng/mL) to the lowest quintile (Q1; median 18 ng/mL), FEV1pp was 6% lower (p = 0.03) in Q1. Likewise, FVCpp was 7% lower (p = 0.03) in Q1. There was no difference in FEV1pp/FVCpp across the serum 25(OH)D quintiles. Compared to children with higher vitamin D status at age 3, those with lower status had decreased FEV1pp and FVCpp at 6 years.

Household second-hand smoke exposure and stunted growth among Chinese school-age children

Few studies have examined the impacts of second-hand smoke exposure on children’s growth during childhood. This study aims to assess the association between heights of school-age children and their after-birth second-hand smoke exposures at home. It included 41,439 children aged 6–17 years recruited from 30 provinces in mainland China using a multi-stage stratified random sampling approach. The heights of children were measured following the standard protocol, and the household second-hand smoke exposure was investigated using a questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. Effects of secondhand smoke exposure were examined using multivariable linear and logistic regressions, adjusting for covariates and potential confounding factors. The results showed that children exposed to household second-hand smoke were lower in height than unexposed children [ β = -2.897, 95 % confidence interval (CI): -3.090, -2.703] and were at higher risk of stunting [Odds ratio (OR) =1.520, 95% CI: 1.318, 1.753]. The effects of second-hand smoke exposure did not differ by gender but were age-related and peaked in the 6–8y group (OR=3.708, 95 % CI: 2.572, 5.346). The risk of stunting increased with increasing second-hand smoke exposure duration, i.e., risk of stunting was 1.246 (CI: 1.053, 1.474), 1.904 (CI: 1.572–2.305) and 3.263 (CI: 2.203, 4.833) for the children exposed to second-hand smoke 1–10 min/d, 11–55 min/d and no less than 56 min/d, respectively, suggesting a dose–response relationship. This study indicated that household exposure to second-hand smoke impedes the growth of school-age children, and the findings warrant the need for promoting smoking-free homes. • 41439 children aged 6–17 years recruited from 30 provinces in mainland China. • Association between second-hand smoke and stunted growth was studied. • Children exposed to household second-hand smoke were lower in height. • The risk of stunting increased with longer second-hand smoke exposure duration. • First national study in China evidencing negative impact of second-hand smoke on children’s growth.

Social deprivation and secondhand smoke exposure among urban male residents: A nationwide study in China.

INTRODUCTIONSocial deprivation is a known determinant of health and related behaviors. Many studies have linked socioeconomic factors to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. However, no studies have examined the relationship between social deprivation and SHS exposure. This study examined whether contextual social deprivation – variously based on living in a house without a car, that was overcrowded, or had an unemployed member (s) – had an independent association with SHS exposure at both individual and regional levels among Chinese residents.METHODSA cross-sectional multistage sampling design was utilized to interview subjects from 6 selected cities in China. A standardized questionnaire selected sociodemographic characteristics, contextual social deprivation and SHS exposure. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess the association between social deprivation and SHS exposure.RESULTSA total of 5782 valid questionnaires were collected in this study. Among 2930 non-smokers, the SHS exposure prevalence was 21.9% (95% CI: 19.5– 24.30). Multilevel logistic regression showed a negative association between household income, regional GDP, and SHS exposure, respectively, and positive associations between contextual social deprivation and SHS exposure.CONCLUSIONSFindings support the central proposition that contextual social deprivation must be factored into SHS exposure messages. Our research underscores the importance of reducing health inequality in controlling SHS exposure.

Socioeconomic inequalities in secondhand smoke exposure before, during and after implementation of Quebec’s 2015 ‘An Act to Bolster Tobacco Control’

BackgroundTo better understand whether tobacco control policies are associated with changes in secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure across socioeconomic groups, we monitored differences in socioeconomic inequalities in SHS exposure in households...

Psoriasis Among Adolescents in Kuwait and the Role of Siblings, Breastfeeding, and Household Cat and Secondhand Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study

IntroductionGlobally, the epidemiology of psoriasis is poorly understood, and most countries lack essential epidemiologic data regarding disease burden and its determinants. This study sought to estimate the prevalence of psoriasis among adolescents in Kuwait and assess its association with different risk factors, including obesity, sibship size, breastfeeding, and exposure to household secondhand smoke (SHS) and pets.MethodsSchoolchildren aged 11–14 years (n = 3864) were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Lifetime and current (past 12 months) prevalence of psoriasis were ascertained according to ever having a history of doctor-diagnosis plus current active lesion(s) and/or current use of treatment of psoriasis. Associations were assessed using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation, and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated.ResultsThe lifetime and current prevalence of psoriasis were estimated to be 3.6% (136/3806) and 1.1% (42/3806), respectively. Commonly reported anatomical sites affected by psoriasis included scalp (47.6%) and the extensor surface of the knees (50%) and elbows (38.1%). Household SHS exposure was associated with increased lifetime psoriasis (aPR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.07–1.98), and showed a trend for association with current psoriasis (1.77, 0.89–3.53). Similarly, cat-keeping during infancy was associated with lifetime psoriasis (1.96, 1.14–3.37), and demonstrated a trend for association with current psoriasis (1.49, 0.52–1.98). In contrast, breastfeeding was associated with a decreased lifetime psoriasis (0.62, 0.44–0.89), but was not associated with current psoriasis. Trend analyses showed that the prevalence of lifetime and current psoriasis increased with increasing numbers of total, older, and younger siblings.ConclusionsPsoriasis affects a considerable proportion of schoolchildren in Kuwait. Interestingly, psoriasis prevalence was related to risk factors also found in allergic diseases, such as exposure to SHS, cat-keeping in infancy, breastfeeding, and sibship size, possibly suggesting a role of immune dysregulation.

Household Exposure to Secondhand Smoke among Chinese Children: Status, Determinants, and Co-Exposures.

Smoking prevalence stays high among adults in China, which also makes children exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) in their households. This study aimed to investigate the status of SHS exposure among Chinese children, identify the influencing factors, and determine “co-exposure” to tobacco and other smokes in households. A total of 41,439 children aged 6–17 years were recruited from 30 provinces in Mainland China through the first Chinese Environmental Exposure-Related Human Activity Model Survey for Children (CEERHAPS-C). Information regarding children’s demographics, socioeconomic status, and exposures to SHS and solid fuel smoke (SFS) in households was collected using a comprehensive questionnaire. Factors that affected exposures to household smokes were identified using multivariable logistic regressions. The overall prevalence of household SHS exposure was 41.7%, and the average duration was 14.7 ± 14.6 min/day among the exposed participants. Prevalence of household SHS exposure increased among children in older age groups and with parents in lower education levels. Among SHS-exposed children, 34% had co-exposure to SFS, and they had a significantly higher risk of co-exposure than non-SHS exposed children (odds ratio = 1.12, 95% confidence interval: 1.061, 1.162). The prevalence of household SHS exposure remains high among school-age children, suggesting the need to develop and implement smoking-free home programs.

Exposure to household secondhand smoke among adolescents in Kuwait: Results from two school-based cross-sectional studies.

INTRODUCTIONDetrimental effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure are well established; however, data on SHS exposure among adolescents in Kuwait are lacking. Hence, this study sought to estimate the prevalence of household SHS exposure among two samples of adolescents in Kuwait and assess its variation by socioeconomic status and parental education level.METHODSData from two large school-based cross-sectional studies were analyzed. Adolescents attending public middle (n=3864; aged 11–14 years) and high (n=1959; aged 14–19 years) schools throughout Kuwait were enrolled in 2016-2017, and parental self-reported household SHS exposure was ascertained. Associations were assessed using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation, and adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated.RESULTSOverall, 45.8% (1755/3836; 95% CI: 44.2–47.3%) of the enrolled middle school students and 51.6% (998/1936; 95% CI: 49.3–53.8%) of the enrolled high school students were exposed to household SHS. Among middle and high school students, the prevalence of household SHS exposure increased as maternal/paternal education level and family income decreased. Among middle school students, paternal educational attainment of middle school or less compared to bachelor’s degree or higher was associated with 1.60 times (95% CI: 1.44–1.79) higher household SHS exposure. Similarly, in the sample of middle school students, the prevalence of household SHS exposure significantly increased from 35.8% among children from families reporting the highest household income to 50.5% among children from families with the lowest reported household income (p-trend<0.001).CONCLUSIONSHousehold SHS exposure is substantially high among adolescents in Kuwait. Enrolled adolescents from families with low socioeconomic status or with low parental education level have the highest household SHS exposure. These findings highlight the need for national comprehensive tobacco control policies and increasing parental awareness of the impact of SHS exposure on children.

Association of household secondhand smoke exposure and mortality risk in patients with heart failure

BackgroundSecondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is a well-established cardiovascular risk factor, yet association between SHS and prognosis of heart failure remains uncertain.MethodData were obtained from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys III from 1988 to 1994. Currently nonsmoking adults with a self-reported history of heart failure were included. Household SHS exposure was assessed by questionnaire. Participants were followed up through December 31, 2011. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to assess the association of household SHS exposure and mortality risk. Potential confounding factors were adjusted.ResultsOf 572 currently nonsmoking patients with heart failure, 88 were exposed to household SHS while 484 were not. There were totally 475 deaths during follow-up. In univariate analysis, household SHS was not associated with mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76–1.26, p = 0.864). However, after adjustment for demographic variables, socioeconomic variables and medication, heart failure patients in exposed group had a 43% increase of mortality risk compared with those in unexposed group (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.10–1.86, p = 0.007). Analysis with further adjustment for general health status and comorbidities yielded similar result (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.13–1.92, p = 0.005).ConclusionHousehold SHS exposure was associated with increased mortality risk in heart failure patients.

Tackling second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke and aerosols of electronic cigarettes: the TackSHS project protocol

ObjectiveThe TackSHS project aims to comprehensively elucidate the impact that exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) from cigarettes and second-hand aerosols (SHA) from electronic cigarettes have on the respiratory health of the European population according to socioeconomic characteristics and other determinants. MethodThe TackSHS project involves a series of coordinated studies carried out by 11 academic and public health organisations from six European countries. The project will investigate: a) the determinants of SHS and SHA exposure assessed at the individual level (surveys on representative general population samples) and in common environments (environmental sampling in specific settings); b) the overall disease burden, mortality and morbidity attributable to such exposure; and c) its economic impact in terms of direct health care costs. The project will also examine specific acute respiratory health changes in healthy individuals and patients with respiratory diseases exposed to SHS and SHA. In addition, the project will examine the effectiveness of a novel intervention to reduce SHS exposure in households where smoking is permitted. All these studies are inter-related and involve collaborative coordination among the participant organisations. ConclusionThe comprehensive, integrated approach of the TackSHS project will enable a significant step forward from the current status quo in the understanding of the impact of SHS and SHA exposure on health and provide the basis for health policy recommendations to help European countries to further reduce the harm caused by SHS and SHA exposure.

Partial Smoking Ban and Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Japan.

Implementing smoking bans is a worldwide common practice for tobacco control. However, if the policy prohibits smoking partially rather than comprehensively, it may increase nonsmokers’ exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in nonprohibited places. This paper investigates how a partial smoking ban affected nonsmokers’ SHS exposure (measured by frequency of having exposure to SHS in days per month) in households, workplaces, and restaurants by examining the case of a partial smoking ban introduced in a large Japanese prefecture in 2013. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS) in 2010, 2013, and 2016 (n = 30,244) and the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions (CSLC) from 2001 to 2016 (n = 2,366,896), this paper employs a difference-in-differences (DID) approach. We found that the partial smoking ban significantly increased their SHS exposure in households and workplaces by 2.64 days and 4.70 days per month, respectively, while it did not change nonsmokers’ SHS exposure in restaurants. The results imply that the smoking ban displaced smokers from public places to private places. We also found that neither smokers’ smoking status nor smoking intensity changed significantly after implementing the partial smoking ban. Comprehensive smoking bans are needed to better protect nonsmokers from SHS exposure.

Sociodemographic factors associated with secondhand smoke exposure and smoking rules in homes with children.

This study aims to identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and the adoption of smoking bans in homes with children in Spain. We performed, in 2016, a cross-sectional study to a representative sample of Spanish households with children under 12 years old. We administered a telephone survey to the parents asking about smoking patterns at home, children's SHS exposure and sociodemographic characteristics. Poisson regression models with robust variance were built to assess sociodemographic characteristics associated with household SHS exposure and the adoption of smoking rules. In this study participated 2411 families, 25.8% of which reported exposure at home and 84.4% implemented smoking bans. SHS exposure was associated with having one (aPR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.43-3.04) or two Spanish parents (aPR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.24-2.36), lower educational attainment (primary: aPR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.45-2.10; secondary: aPR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.17-1.60 compared with university studies), a family structure different from two-parent family (aPR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.14-1.67) and parents between 31 and 40 years (aPR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.57-0.99) and 41-50 years (aPR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47-0.81) compared with 18- to 30-year-old parents. The adoption of smoking bans was associated with two-parent family (aPR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.01-1.17), living with non-smokers (aPR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.31-1.62), parents of foreign origin (aPR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04-1.14) and younger children (0-3 years: aPR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01-1.09) compared with the oldest children (8-11 years). The parent's origin and the family structure were associated with SHS exposure and the adoption of smoking bans at home. Moreover, the number of smokers living at home was relevant for the adoption of smoking bans, and the educational attainment for SHS exposure. These factors should be taken into consideration when designing or implementing smoke-free home programmes.

Impact of breast milk on respiratory outcomes in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

The objective of our study was to examine whether outpatient respiratory morbidities in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are influenced by the human milk consumption. Caregivers of subjects recruited from a BPD clinic completed questionnaires regarding breast milk intake and respiratory outcomes. One-hundred eighty-eight caregivers completed the questionnaire. Of these, 173 (92.0%) reported that the child received some breast milk. Infants who received breast milk for fewer months were more likely to be non-white, and have a lower household income, public insurance, and secondhand smoke exposure. A longer receipt of breast milk was associated with reduced likelihoods of emergency department visits, systemic steroid courses, and cough or chest congestion, and a trend towards a lower risk of re-hospitalizations. Longer duration of breast milk intake was associated with markers of higher socio-economic status, and reduced likelihood of acute and chronic respiratory morbidities among preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Childhood and adult exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and cardiac structure and function: results from Echo-SOL

ObjectiveTo describe the relationship of household secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and cardiac structure and function.MethodsParticipants (n=1069; 68 % female; age 45–74 years) without history of tobacco use, coronary artery disease...

Predictors of youth e-cigarette use susceptibility in a U.S. nationally representative sample

ObjectivesGiven that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances and that adolescents who are exposed to nicotine via e-cigarettes can progress to conventional cigarette smoking, there is a need to identify youth who are susceptible to e-cigarette use and prevent them from initiating e-cigarette use. Susceptibility to e-cigarette use, defined as the absence of a firm decision not to use e-cigarettes, is a useful concept that can be used to predict e-cigarette initiation and identify youth who have high risk of initiating e-cigarettes. This study was conducted to investigate factors that affect youth susceptibility to e-cigarette use. MethodsYouth who have never smoked conventional cigarettes and who had seen or heard of e-cigarettes but never used them (N = 9853) were drawn from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 youth dataset collected from 2013 to 2014. Data were analyzed using logistic regression to investigate intrapersonal and environmental determinants of youth susceptibility to e-cigarette use. ResultsOverall, 24.2% (n = 2410) of youth who have never used e-cigarettes were susceptible to e-cigarette use. Psychological problems and rebelliousness were associated with increased susceptibility. Ever use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances and household secondhand smoke exposure were found to be risk factors. Perceptions of e-cigarettes as addictive and harmful worked as protective factors. ConclusionsThe results revealed determinants of e-cigarette use susceptibility. Multi-level intervention approach is needed to prevent youth from being susceptible to e-cigarette initiation.

Secondhand Smoke and Women's Cognitive Function in China.

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is known to be harmful to health. However, the association between household SHS and cognitive function among middle-aged and older women in China is understudied. Lagged dependent variable regression was used to examine the association between household SHS exposure and the cognitive function of married women who had been exposed to SHS, using data from 2 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2013). Controlling for age, educational attainment, geographic residence, household expenditures, and chronic conditions (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, and depressive symptoms), the results indicated that longer SHS exposure was associated with a greater decline in memory over 2 years. After comparing differences across age groups, this pattern was significant for women aged 55-64 years. Furthermore, those who were illiterate, lived in rural areas, and reported depressive symptoms had a greater decline in memory. With evidence linking household SHS exposure with a higher risk of cognitive decline, effective education and public health intervention programs are urgently needed. Stronger tobacco control regulations and education about the dangers of household SHS are viable strategies to reduce the impending dementia epidemic in China.