Prevalence Of Passive Smoking Research Articles

Passive Smoking and Lung Disease in Children, Systematic Review

Background: Children's morbidity and mortality are greatly increased by passive cigarette smoke exposure. Preterm delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, perinatal death, respiratory illnesses, neurobehavioral issues, and lower academic performance have all been linked to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) as having negative effects on children's health. This systematic review aims to comprehensively assess recent literature on prevalence of passive smoking in association with lung diseases in children. Methods: Comprehensive searches were conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar to include pertinent literature. The Rayyan QRCI tool facilitated this systematic approach. Results: A total of 490 study articles resulted from the systematic search, and 53 duplicates were deleted. Title and abstract screening were conducted on 437 studies, and 390 studies were excluded. Forty-seven reports were sought for retrieval, and only 7 articles were not retrieved. Finally, 40 studies were screened for full-text assessment; 17 were excluded for wrong study outcomes, and 6 for the wrong population type. Seventeen eligible study articles were included in this systematic review. Conclusion: ETS exposure has a considerable negative impact on children's morbidity and death. Children appear to be the population group most vulnerable to the negative impacts of ETS. There should be a consolidation of more efficient governmental policies and initiatives to safeguard preschoolers from ETS.

Determinants and Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking among Medical Students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

Tobacco smoking has a significant role in health deterioration worldwide; it can lead to many dangerous diseases. Tobacco smoking among medical students is common worldwide, but the prevalence and determinants vary from one community to another. Data from medical students in Saudi Arabia is limited. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and determinants of smoking among medical students at the College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study using a self-administered electronic survey was conducted to estimate tobacco smoking's prevalence and characteristics among medical students at Jazan University. The survey includes information on the gender, academic year, academic performance, type of tobacco smoking, and age of onset of the participants' tobacco smoking. Other data, like the prevalence of passive smoking and social factors, were considered, too. The sample size was 354, 51.7% males and 48.3% females, students with a response rate of 38.02%. The prevalence of smoking among medical students was 12.4%, while passive smoking prevalence was 39.9% of all medical students. The research shows that 18.6% of male and 5.9% of female medical students were active smokers. Regarding the type of tobacco, we found that 47% of male smokers used waterpipe, while the percentage among female smokers using waterpipe reached 77.8%. The age of onset of smoking for 34.9% of the smokers was between 18 and 21 years old. The prevalence of smoking is inversely proportional to the GPA. Additionally, 71.1% of the smokers did not have a smoker friend, and only 13.3% of the smokers were motivated to quit. University age is critical for smoking habits, and the smoking cessation rate was low. More campaigns should be done in universities to increase smoking cessation awareness, and smoking cessation clinics should be activated at universities.

Current Tobacco Smoking Prevalence Among Iranian Population: A Closer Look at the STEPS Surveys.

Objectives: To determine the current tobacco smoking prevalence among Iranian adults, its geographical distribution in 2011, 2016, and time trend during 2004-2016.Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of the published reports of 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, and the data of 2011 and 2016 of the STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk-factor surveillance (STEPS) surveys.Results: The prevalence of current tobacco smoking and current daily cigarette smoking in 2016 was 14.1 and 9.7%, respectively. Only 0.2% of participants smoked water-pipe. Current tobacco smoking prevalence remained unchanged during 2004-2016 for both men and women. The prevalence of passive smoking at home or workplace was 27.4%. Current tobacco smoking prevalence and current daily cigarette smoking was significantly lower among women than men. Current tobacco smoking prevalence showed a geographical pattern throughout the country. In both 2011 and 2016, current tobacco smoking prevalence was higher among men who lived in the western provinces, especially the north-west, than those who lived in the eastern and southern provinces.Conclusions: The current tobacco smoking prevalence among Iranian population has not changed significantly during 2004-2016 and does not conform to the international guidelines. Therefore, it remains crucial yet challenging that effective nationwide policies be implemented to reduce the use of tobacco products. One cannot hope for any reductions in smoking prevalence until a cocktail of interventions are built around strong commitment to government policy.

Regional and demographic differences on passive smoking among non-smokers aged 30-79 years in 10 regions of China

Objective: To describe the regional and demographic differences on passive non-smokers from 10 regions involved in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study. Methods: Detailed information regarding passive smoking behaviors related to 317 486 non-smokers who were 30-79 years old from the 10 study regions were gathered and analyzed. Results: Following the standardization of the 2010 China national population, the prevalence rate of passive smoking was 56.7%, and the prevalence rate of living with smokers was 66.5% among the Chinese adults. Both of the aforementioned rates were higher in rural than in urban areas. Meanwhile, the regional distribution of weekly passive smoking frequency and cumulative duration of passive smoking per week and cumulative duration of passive smoking per day were significantly different. The cumulative passive smoking duration per week increased along with the weekly frequency in people living in urban areas. Among women, the weekly passive smoking frequency was the highest, and the cumulative durations per week and per day appeared the lowest in Hunan, opposite to the situation in Henan. The prevalence of passive smoking among participants living with smokers was 2.27 times (95%CI: 2.24-2.29) of those who were not and the association appeared stronger in women (OR=2.61, 95%CI: 2.58-2.64) but not in men (OR=1.01, 95%CI: 0.95-1.06). Almost all the indicators seemed higher in women than those in men, except for the cumulative duration per day. Furthermore, these indicators appeared higher among those who were at younger age or with less education. The prevalence rates of passive smoking and living with smokers were lower but the cumulative duration per day was higher among those with lower household income. And the two rates were higher in married women and lower in married men, as compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: Regional and demographic differences in passive smoking were noticed among study population of CKB in the 10 regions.

Study on the relationship between passive smoking and disease burden of stroke in people aged 60 years and over in Jiangsu province, 2013

Objective: To analyze the disease burden of stroke and its health loss attributable to passive smoking in people aged 60 years and over in Jiangsu province. Methods: Data were retrieved from the Chronic and Non-communicable Diseases and Risk Factors Surveillance in Jiangsu in 2013 and the death registry system in Jiangsu. Combined with the method in Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 (GBD2016), the indicators, such as population attributable fraction (PAF) and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) for stroke due to passive smoking were calculated. Results: In 2013, the mortality rate, age-standardized mortality rate, DALY and DALY rate of stroke in people aged 60 years and over in Jiangsu were 718.15/100 000, 439.28/100 000, 1 179 602 person years and 9 234.99/100 000, respectively. Year of life lost (YLL) accounted for 87.00% of the total DALY. The DALY and corresponding rate of stroke increased rapidly with age, and were higher in women (612 084 person years and 9 319.71/100 000, respectively) than those in men (567 518 person years and 9 145.33/100 000, respectively). The prevalence of passive smoking was 34.04% in people aged 60 years and over in Jiangsu. The PAF, attributable DALY, attributable DALY rate and its age- standardized rate of stroke due to passive smoking in people aged 60 years and over in Jiangsu were 3.88%, 45 769 person years, 358.12/100 000 and 920.64/100 000, respectively; and were also higher for men (4.35%, 24 687 person years, 397.82/100 000 and 515.30/100 000, respectively) than those for women (3.44%, 21 056 person years, 320.60/100 000, 405.34/100 000, respectively). Conclusions: The disease burden of stroke was heavy in the elderly in Jiangsu, and passive smoking might have great influence on the disease burden of stroke. Prevention and control of stroke and passive smoking exposure should be taken actively to improve health for the elderly.

Student Nurses’ Exposure to Passive Smoking at a Community in Eastern Nigeria

The prevalence of passive smoking is becoming a concern. The aim of this study is to determine the proportion of respondents that are passive smokers. A descriptive study was conducted among student nurses living at a community in Eastern Nigeria. A total of 160 student Nurses were selected using accidental sampling method. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire. The study protocol was reviewed and approved before the actual study. A total of 160 student nurses completed the questionnaire while all (100%) administered copies were suitable for analysis. Descriptive statistic was used to analyze data. Findings from the study revealed that 62% of the respondents live around passive smokers, 43.1% inhale smoke from cigarette while 70% were of the opinion that passive smoking aggravates health status of patients. In conclusion, smoking ban should be effectively enforced by the government and its agencies in order to maintain a healthy society and nation.

The Risk Factors of Low Back Pain in Female High School Students.

A prospective cross-sectional study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors with low back pain (LBP) in female adolescents of high school age. The prevalence of LBP in Tehran is high, and the majority of previous studies on LBP in adolescent and its risk factors have been performed in the developed countries. Therefore, identification of risk factors and planning appropriate protocols for prevention of LBP in adolescents may substantially decrease the prevalence of LBP and its burden in developing countries in future. In a prospective cross-sectional study, demographic characteristics, including age, body mass index (BMI), weight and mode of using backpack, family history of LBP in first degree relatives, and passive smoking status of the participants along with a history of LBP were recorded. Joint hypermobility was assessed using Beighton scale. Also, anthropometric measurements, spinal flexion, and hip joint range of motion were measured for each participant. In total, 372 students participated in the study. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 15.8 (0.9) years. The lifetime, more than 3 months, and last month history of LBP was 46.2%, 11.6%, and 31.2%, respectively. Positive history of LBP in the first-degree relatives was significantly associated with LBP in the participants (P < 0.01). The prevalence of passive smoking was significantly higher in the participants with last month history of LBP (P = 0.03). The prevalence of joint hypermobility was 15.9% and was significantly higher in those with the lifetime and last month history of LBP (P < 0.01). LBP is a common complaint among adolescent and high school girl students. The results of this study identified the prevalence and associated factors with LBP in high school students and will help develop strategies for prevention and treatment of LBP in the adolescent population. 3.

Passive smoking at home increased the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in China

Active smoking during pregnancy may increase the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but little is known about the potential association between passive smoking and risk of GDM. The present study investigated the association between passive smoking at home and/or in the workplace and risk of GDM among non-smoking Chinese women. A population-based study including 995 pregnant women taking antenatal care from December 2015 to May 2016 was conducted. Screening was carried out after 24 gestational weeks, during which women were offered a 75-g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Basic information and self-reported passive smoking were collected by a questionnaire. Passive smoking was classified as passive smoking at home, passive smoking in the workplace, or passive smoking at home and in the workplace. They were further classified by time period, total exposure time, and amount. Logistic regression was used to estimate both crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of passive smoking was 78.3%. Compared with women who were non-exposed to passive smoking, a passive smoker has an increased risk of GDM with an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.60 (1.09, 2.33). In addition, there was a strong association between passive smoking exposure at home and GDM (adjusted OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.13, 2.24), and significant dose–response relationships in total exposure time and amount of passive smoking at home were observed. However, there is no obvious evidence for the link between passive smoking in the workplace and GDM risk (adjusted OR 1.25; 95% CI 0.87, 1.80). Passive smoking at home was associated with an increased risk of GDM among non-smoking Chinese women. These findings emphasize the importance of preventing passive smoking, especially at home.

Cigarette smoking patterns in relation to religiosity and familial support among Iranian university students: A Latent Class Analysis.

INTRODUCTIONEntering University is an important developmental milestone that might be associated with cigarette smoking. The aim of this study was to identify the subgroups of university students on the basis of cigarette smoking patterns, and to assess the role of familial support and religious beliefs on membership in specific subgroups.METHODSThis cross-sectional study was performed in 2016 using multistage random sampling among students of Bushehr University (n=977). Anonymous, structured questionnaires were distributed to the students in each selected class. Cigarette smoking prevalence was assessed in three time intervals: lifetime, last year, and last month. All of the analyses were performed using PROC LCA in the SAS software.RESULTSThe lifetime, last-year and last-month prevalence of cigarette smoking was 13.7%, 10.0% and 7.0%, respectively. In this study, the prevalence of passive smoking was relatively high (15.3%) among students. Four latent classes were identified: 1) non-smoker 58.2%, 2) passive smoker 31.3%, 3) moderate smoker 3.4%, and 4) heavy smoker 7.1%. The prevalence of cigarette smoking of close friends was: 73% among passive smokers, 81% for heavy smokers and 63% for moderate smokers. Being male (OR=4.42, 95% CI; 2.90–6.74) and a higher score of religious beliefs (OR=0.97, p<0.001 95% CI; 0.96–0.98) were associated with the heavy smoker class.CONCLUSIONSAmong students at Bushehr University in Iran, 10.5% were either moderate or heavy smokers in 2016. These results point out the critical importance of designing specific preventive interventional programs for university students. Higher level of religiosity may serve as a preventive factor in engaging in cigarette smoking.

A comprehensive evaluation of intervention effects on workplace health promotion in 10 government agencies

Objective: To evaluate the comprehensive workplace health promotion intervention effects on workplace health promotion in 10 government agencies. Methods: A prospective self-controlled design was employed. Baseline evaluation and effectiveness evaluation were both conducted by questionnaire investigation. Results: The intervention results showed that most effectiveness indicators were significantly improved including health behaviors, psychosocial work environment, and health status. After the intervention, the prevalence of passive smoking and physical inactivity decreased from 70.3% and 38.7% to 44.1% and 30.5%, respectively. The scores of job control and social support at work increased by 0.30 and 0.05, respectively. The prevalence of good self-rated health and good mental health raised from 68.3% and 68.8% to 75.6% and 85.6%, respectively. However, the scores of job demand increased by 0.4. Furthermore, the prevalence of occupational stress increased significantly from 45.8% to 65.5%. Conclusion: After implementing workplace health promotion, the physical and mental health of the staff have been promoted. However, the occupational stress of government officials still need to be improved.

Cross-sectional survey of smoking and smoking cessation behaviors in adults in Jiangxi province, 2013

Objective: To describe the prevalence of smoking and smoking cessation in adults of Jiangxi province in 2013. Methods: Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 6 000 individuals aged ≥18 years from 10 chronic and non-communicable disease and risk factor surveillance points of Jiangxi province in 2013. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was carried out to collect information about the risk factors for chronic and non-communicable diseases and 5 997 records were used in final analysis of smoking and smoking cessation. Sample was weighted to represent the adult population of Jiangxi province. The prevalence of different groups were analyzed. Results: The prevalence of current smoking of the sample was 21.53% (1 291/5 997). After complex weighting, the prevalence of smoking was 26.07% in adults in Jiangxi (95%CI:23.48%-28.66%), and it was much higher in men (50.62%, 95%CI: 46.31%-54.94%) than in women(1.46%, 95%CI: 0.57%-2.35%), the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The differences in smoking prevalence were significant among different age groups (P=0.029), and the smoking prevalence increased with educational level, but decreased with the worse of self-reported health condition. Most current smokers smoked every day (87.16%, 95%CI: 83.29%-91.03%) and averagely 19.27 (95%CI: 17.69-20.85) cigarettes were smoked daily. The proportion of smokers with average daily consumption ≥20 cigarettes was 64.74% (95%CI: 55.79%-73.70%). The smokers'average age of starting daily smoking was 20.28 (95%CI: 19.74-20.82) years old, which was lower in men [20.11(95%CI: 19.61-20.61) years old] than in women [26.88(95%CI: 24.73-29.03) years old], the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Among the male smokers, 27.04%(95%CI:18.91%-35.16%) of male smokers was less than 18 years old when they started daily smoking, and the proportion was 17.46%(95%CI: 0%-37.71%) in female smokers. The smoking cessation rate was 14.80% (95%CI: 10.88%-18.72%) and increased with age, the increase of income level and the worse of self-reported health condition. The successful smoking cessation rate was 10.89%(95%CI: 8.36%-13.42%). Only 32.10%(95%CI: 21.95%-42.25%) of current smokers attempted to quit smoking. The prevalence of passive smoking was 54.71% (95%CI: 44.20%-65.21%). Conclusion: The prevalence of smoking was high in adults in Jiangxi and the proportion of heavy smokers was large. Less smokers quitted smoking and the proportion of current smokers attempting to quit smoking was small. Males and adolescent smokers are targeted populations for tobacco control and special strategy should be taken according to the characteristics of smoking population in Jiangxi.

Exposure to Hookah and Cigarette Smoke in Children and Adolescents According to Their Socio-Economic Status: The CASPIAN-IV Study.

BackgroundExposure to smoking or passive smoking is one of serious health problems especially in the pediatric age group.ObjectivesTo compare the prevalence and determinants of passive smoking in a nationally representative sample of Iranian children and adolescents according to their socioeconomic status (SES).Materials and MethodsThis nationwide study was conducted in 2011 - 2012 among 14880 students aged 6 - 18 years, living in 30 provinces in Iran. Exposure to the smoke of hookah or cigarette was documented by using validated questionnaires. Possible influencing factors were determined and the frequency of passive smoking was compared according to the regional and familial SES.ResultsParticipants consisted of 13,486 children and adolescents including 49.2% girls and 75.6% urban inhabitants (90.6% participation rate). The mean age of participants was 12.47 ± 3.36 years. Overall, 43.87% of them (44.07% of boys and 43.66% of girls) were exposed to second hand smoke at home. Exposures to hookah or cigarette smoke at home were respectively reported in 21.46% and 34.49% of participants. The prevalence of passive smoking was lower in children of families with higher SES level, but higher in high SES regions of the country than in low SES ones, and ranged from 39.2% in the region with lowest SES to 49.05% in the highest SES region. Higher education levels of fathers and mothers were significantly associated with lower frequency of passive smoking.ConclusionsExposure to second hand smoke is a major problem among Iranian children and adolescents. Low family SES and low parental education increased the frequency of passive smoking. Appropriate public health education and legislation for smoke free home as well as family-centered counseling should be strengthened.

The Program for the Prevention of Childhood Asthma: a specialized care program for children with wheezing or asthma in Brazil.

Objective: To present the Programa Infantil de Prevenção de Asma (PIPA, Program for the Prevention of Childhood Asthma) and the characteristics of the patients followed in this program. Methods: Implemented in the city of Uruguaiana, Brazil, PIPA has as its target population children and adolescents (< 18 years of age) with asthma or suspected asthma. Patients either enroll in PIPA spontaneously or are referred by pediatricians or primary care physicians. In this retrospective study, we use a standardized protocol to assess PIPA patients. Results: By the end of the study period, 646 patients were being followed. Of those, 298 (46.1%) were ≤ 3 years of age. In this group of patients, recurrent wheezing was identified in 60.7%, and the first episode of wheezing occurred in the first six months of life in 86.0%. Severe wheezing was identified in 29.5% and 45.4% in the children ≤ 3 and > 3 years of age, respectively. Physician-diagnosed asthma was reported in 26.5% and 82.2%, respectively. In the sample as a whole, the prevalence of passive smoking was high (> 36%), occurring during pregnancy in > 15%; > 40% of the patients had been born by cesarean section; and 30% had a mother who had had < 8 years of schooling. Conclusions: A prevention program for children with asthma is an effective strategy for controlling the disease. Knowledge of local epidemiological and environmental characteristics is essential to reducing the prevalence of the severe forms of asthma, to improving the use of health resources, and to preventing pulmonary changes that could lead to COPD in adulthood.

Встречаемость пассивного курения среди пациентов Красноярского краевого онкологического диспансера

There was conducted a questionnaire survey aimed at defining prevalence of passive smoking among the patients that were undergoing medical treatment at Krasnoyarsk Regional Oncological Dispensary at the time of the survey. The data received were statistically processed. Answering the question “Do you breathe environmental tobacco smoke?” 46,1% of the patients responded that they breathe tobacco smoke contaminated air and 53.9% of the patients do not breathe environmental tobacco smoke. Passive smoking is more common for men (50%) than for women (38.7%). Representatives of age groups “fewer than 30 years old” and “30-39 years old” breathe environmental tobacco smoke more often than others (50% and 53% respectively). They are mostly patients of the thoracic surgical oncology department (72.7%) diagnosed with lung cancer. A half (50%) of passively smoking patients breathe tobacco smoke contaminated air 7 days a week for up to 10 minutes per day (65.4%). It is shown that nearly 285 (73, 3) patients of an oncological clinic, are active and passive smokers. Thus, the conducted researches allow to draw a conclusion that passive inhalation of a tobacco smoke is one of major factors of the increased risk of cancer cases of lungs, and not less significant, than active smoking.

PASSIVE SMOKING IN THE ODESSA REGION, UKRAINE: PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATION WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASES IN INFANTS

Researchers have known for over 20years that the concentration of toxic substances in the auxiliary jet of a tobacco cigarette (i.e. the jet that is emitted at the front of the lit cigarette) is much more harmful than in the smoke that is inhaled directly. This auxiliary jet is what causes the opportunity for passive smoking among individuals in the same environment. Furthermore mothers with new born infants who hold their child close, breathe out air that has toxic substances in the baby’s face for the child to breathe in. This study investigated the prevalenceof passive smoking exposureamonginfantsin the Odessa region and todetermine the frequency ofinfants-passive smokerswith pneumoniaof different severityamong hospitalizedinfants to the Odessa Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital. The questionnaire covered information on prevalence of smoking at home, mother nicotine dependence, frequency and severity ofdiseases in children. Two hundred infants were recruited from infants who visited the outpatient clinic № 6 of the Odessa region in “The Day of healthy child”.The survey revealed an unexpectedly high prevalence of second hand smoke exposure among infants of the Odessa region (24.5%). The prevalence of IUGR, HIE, recurrent respiratory diseases among infants – passive smokers is significantly higher than among infants which are free from second hand smoke exposure.

Changes in and patterns of smoking exposure in an elderly urban population in Beijing: 2001-2010.

ObjectiveThe study aims to explore the patterns and changes of active and passive smoking in the elderly population.MethodsTwo cross-sectional surveys with representative samples of urban populations, aged between 60 and 95 years old, were conducted in 2001 and 2010 in Beijing. A current smoker was defined as a person who smoked a tobacco product at the time of the survey, and a passive smoker was defined as a person who had been exposed to smoke exhaled by a smoker for more than 15 minutes per day more than once per week.ResultsA total of 2,277 participants in 2001 and 2,102 participants in 2010 completed the survey. The current smoking prevalence changed slightly in males (24.7 vs. 21.2%, P = 0.081), while the prevalence in females decreased significantly from 8.8% (95% CI: 7.3–10.3%) in 2001 to 4.1% (95% CI: 3.0–5.2%) in 2010 (P<0.001). The prevalence of passive smoking was 30.5% (95% CI: 28.6–32.4%) in 2001 and 30.0% (95% CI: 28.1–32.0%) in 2010. The main source of secondhand smoke switched from a spouse in 2001 to offspring in 2010. This trend was observed in both sexes. Passive smoking in males from a smoking spouse decreased from 5.7% to 2.4% (P<0.001), while that from smoking offspring increased from 7.3 to 14.5% (P<0.001). Passive smoking in females from a spouse decreased from 30.6 to 17.6%, while that from offspring increased from 5.3 to 15.4% (P<0.001).ConclusionOffspring became the main source of secondhand smoke for the elderly. Our findings demonstrated the importance of implementing smoking prevention programs, to educate older adults who live with a smoking spouse and/or offspring.

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among pregnant women visiting primary health care (PHC) in Makkah

Background: Passive smoking is defined as involuntary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke1. Passive smoking, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or second hand smoke (SHS) all carry the same meaning. The problem of passive smoking in pregnancy remains underappreciated by both healthcare workers and the public. It is important to detect SHS among pregnant ladies and educate the women about it during the antenatal care visit which may lead to better outcome on future babies and it is found that there are limited researches in Saudi Arabia to assess SHS among pregnant women. Aims & Objective: To assess the prevalence, associated factors and knowledge of ETS exposure among Saudi pregnant women in Makkah. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional study was carried out among primary health care centers (PHC), Makkah region, in Saudi Arabia in 2012. A sample of 400 participants was selected randomly. The tool of the study was self-administered questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of passive smoking among studied population was 45.8% and the associated significant factors were smoker husbands, low education, low income, resident in governmental houses and lack of knowledge about passive smoking hazards. Conclusion: This study revealed that prevalence of SHS among pregnant women was relatively in the average as compared to reported rates in other non-Saudi population. This study raised the importance of education about passive smoking hazards and their implication on occurrence of SHS among pregnant ladies. Both pregnant women and their husbands are in need for educational programs regarding passive smoking hazards.

Socio-economic and Psychosocial Determinants of Smoking and Passive Smoking in Older Adults

ObjectiveTo determine the associations of socio-economic and psychosocial factors with active and passive smoking in older adults. MethodsUsing a standard interview method, we examined random samples of 6071 people aged ≥ 60 years in 5 provinces of China during 2007–2009. ResultsWorld age-standardised prevalence for current and former smoking in men was 45.6% and 20.5%, and in women 11.1% and 4.5%. Current smoking reduced with older age but increased with men, low socioeconomic status (SES), alcohol drinking, being never-married, pessimistic and depressive syndromes. Former smoking was associated with men, secondary school education, a middle-high income, being a businessman, being widowed, less frequencies of visiting children/relatives and friends, and worrying about children. Among 3774 never-smokers, the prevalence of passive smoking was 31.5%, and the risk increased with women, low SES, alcohol drinking, being married, having a religious believe, and daily visiting children/relatives. There were sex differences in the associations, and an interaction effect of education and income on smoking and passive smoking. ConclusionOlder Chinese had a higher level of smoking and passive smoking than those in high income countries, reflecting China's failures in controlling smoking. The associations with low SES and different psychosocial aspects and sex differences suggest preventative strategies for active and passive smoking.

Illegal Passive Smoking at Work

Introduction. Exposure to passive smoking at work has been forbidden for few years in France. This study's aim is to estimate the prevalence of passive smoking at work (PSW), the characteristics of illegal passive smoking and to identify eventual respiratory effects. Methods. Occupational practitioners (OPs) of a French county of 320,000 wage earners were contacted by mail. Then OP answered questions from a standardized questionnaire. These questions concerned the practised job, exposure features linked to PSW and health effects in relationship with second-hand smoke in workplace, and the focus on nonsmoker encountered by OP during the most recent occupational medical examination. Results. Ninety-five percent of a total group of 172 OP of Champagne county filled the postal questionnaire. More than 80% of OP's replies identified illegal PSW. The average prevalence of PSW exposure was 0.7% of the total working population. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) levels were considered between low and medium for most passive smokers (71%). Main features exposure to ETS at work for non-smokers was associated with female gender (69.5%), age between 40 and 49 years (41.2%) and belonging to tertiary sector (75.6%). Environmental tobacco smoke exposures at work was firstly in the office for 49.7% of the subjects and secondly in the restroom for 18% of them. Main medical symptoms encountered by non-smokers were respiratory tractus irritation (81.7%). Eighty-three percent of OPs indicated solution to eradicate PSW. Illegal PSW is really weaker than fifteen years ago. However, the findings support a real ban on smoking in the workplace in order to protect all workers.

Dietary intakes and behaviours in pregnant women of Li ethnicity: a comparison of mountainous and coastal populations in southern China.

The aim of our study was to describe and compare nutritional status and food related behaviours in rural pregnant women of Li ethnicity as they had been divided into mountainous and costal groups by residential area. One hundred and ninety-six randomly selected healthy rural pregnant women of Li ethnicity for the mountainous group (MG), and eighty-two for the coastal group (CG) were recruited. Data were collected via demographic questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, food related behaviour questionnaires, five day dietary diaries and plasma folate tests. The mean (SD) age, years of education, and height of all participants were respectively 25.7 (3.99) years, 7.57 (2.45) years and 155 (5.04) cm, without significant group differences (p>0.05). Significant differences were shown in dietary intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, thiamine, vitamin C, folate, potassium, sodium and magnesium between MG and CG (p<0.05). The prevalence of plasma folate deficiency differed significantly between groups (3.08% in MG vs 37.8% in CG, p<0.001). High prevalence of active or passive smoking (65.1% in MG vs 68.4% in CG), alcohol consumption (13.8% in MG vs 2.6% in CG), and betel quid chewing (19.6% in MG vs 53.9% in CG) were found in all participants. Differences in alcohol consumption and betel quid chewing rates between groups were also significant (p<0.05). In general, coastal Li pregnant women have a poorer plane of nutrition than their mountainous counterparts. Therefore, healthy diet and lifestyle education are urgently required and should be emphasised during routine prenatal care.