Involuntary Smoking in Adolescents, Their Awareness of Its Harmfulness, and Attitudes towards Smoking in the Presence of Non-Smokers

Dorota Kaleta, Kinga Polanska, Piotr Wojtysiak and Franciszek Szatko
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Dorota Kaleta: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Lodz, Poland
Kinga Polanska: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Lodz, Poland
Piotr Wojtysiak: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Lodz, Poland
Franciszek Szatko: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Lodz, Poland

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-12

Abstract: The aim of the study was to examine involuntary smoking among young people, their awareness of its harmfulness and the factors associated with attitudes towards smoking in the presence of non-smokers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3552 students from a socially disadvantaged rural area in central Poland. Almost 40% of the participants were exposed to involuntary smoking at home and 60% outside of home on a daily or almost daily basis. More than 80% of the students felt that smoking should be banned around children at home, 59% thought it should be banned in vehicles, and 41% in the presence of non-smokers. The majority of the students were aware of the health consequences of active smoking, and 69% understood the threats of passive smoking. Females, never-smokers and current non-smokers, as well as those without smoking parents were more likely to claim that smoking should be banned at home and in vehicles ( p < 0.05). Those aware of the fact that smoking was harmful to health, who discussed those issues with their parents and teachers, and who saw school tobacco control policies, were more likely to maintain that passive smoking should be banned ( p < 0.05). The study results highlight the need for programs and policies to eliminate involuntary smoking among young people.

Keywords: youth; adolescents; involuntary smoking; passive smoking; prevalence; beliefs and attitudes towards exposure; tobacco control; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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