The prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure and related factors among schoolchildren in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of tobacco consumption in Thailand has gradually declined; however, the prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is still high. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of SHS exposure and examine the association between exposure to SHS and depressive symptoms among schoolchildren, and test for moderation by the number of smokers in household. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1105 schoolchildren. Socioeconomics factors, depressive symptoms and exposure to SHS variables were collected. We used the chi-square test for testing the factors associated to SHS exposure. In addition, we used the Mantel Haenszel test for testing interaction effect of depression to SHS exposure by the number of smokers in home. Multiple logistic regression was used to test the factors related to SHS exposure adjusted for confounders. Results: The prevalence of exposure to SHS was 58.2% (95%CI: 55.2, 61.1). The schoolchildren with abnormal depression status were 1.8 times more likely to have been exposed to SHS (95%CI: 1.3, 2.5). In addition, the number of smokers in the home did not modify the association between exposure to SHS and depressive symptoms (P: 0.964). Conclusions: An association between exposure to SHS and depressive in schoolchildren was observed, but this relationship was not affected by the number of smokers in children’s homes.

Trends in Smoking Prevalence and Intensity between 2010 and 2018: Implications for Tobacco Control in China

“…The United States also achieved a dramatic decline in smoking prevalence, dropping from 20.9% in 2005 to 15.1% in 2015 [ 27 ]. In Thailand, the smoking prevalence among people aged 15 years old or above decreased from 32.0% in 1991 to 19.1% in 2017 [ 28 ]. In 2014 across Brazil, approximately 15% of the population were smokers, down from 34.8% in 1989 [ 29 ].…”