Status and correlates of children’s exposure to secondhand smoke at home: A survey in Chongqing, China

INTRODUCTION: The home is the primary source of children’s exposure to secondhand smoke. This study investigated the status and influencing factors of child exposure to secondhand smoke at home when people smoke in the household. METHODS: Participants with at least one child living in their household from 10 communities in Chongqing were recruited and provided a self-administered questionnaire using a multistage proportional random sampling design from June to August 2021. The chi-squared test and binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify influencing factors. RESULTS: The questionnaire completed by 1345 families showed that 631 (46.9%) families lived with smokers in their household, and 509 (80.7%) of those families reported that smoking occurred within the home while the children were present. Binary logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the time between waking up and household smokers having the first cigarette of the day (OR=0.44; 95% CI: 0.22–0.85), changes to smoking habits and behaviors within the last six months (OR=1.76; 95% CI: 1.06–2.90), attitudes towards tobacco control in the household (OR=2.91; 95% CI: 1.72–4.92), self-efficacy in maintaining a smoke-free home (OR=2.27; 95% CI: 1.36–3.79), having rules to maintain a smoke-free home (OR=3.25; 95% CI: 1.68–6.29), and the status of providing cigarettes to guests at home (OR=11.0; 95% CI: 1.33–90.8) were associated with exposure to SHS. CONCLUSIONS: Education focusing on the impact of smoking on children’s health should be encouraged. Smoke-free homes should be established, and smoking restrictions in the household should be enacted. Therefore, information about the available tobacco-control services should be given to family members and be used properly. It is an effective way to decrease the risk of at-home exposure to SHS for children, to overcome any obstacles in tobacco control.